Kantai Collection : Within the Abyssal
by JdkLeBleau728
Summary: You want to know where did the Abyssal come from? Then how about you answer me this easy question before I answer yours? When you're out in the vast ocean under the limitless blue sky, do you hear anything beside the waves and the winds? Yes? That's their cries, from the Abyss, a place where I find comfortable than any Naval base. Come, and I will tell you everthing. OCs Admirals!
1. Chapter 1

Welcome fellow Admirals! I'm just a normal T-kun who suffers under the RNG goddess guidance. Now please have this Kongou's recommended tea and relax. Oh, and if you want to add some milk, we have Atago brand's fresh milk ready. Enjoy!

A/N : No, I do not own Kantai Collection. It's Kadokawa's.

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><p>Chapter 1 – The Lost Admiral<p>

"Why did this have to happen...?" A man cries in desperate expression, as before him is the rage of the sea. All black with the clouds and maddening whirlwind, high waves and heavy downpour. Why did it have to happen now of all time, he was just about to reach half of the destination to somewhere he really must be no matter how. To somewhere he need to be. To meet someone important to him. To meet someone who shared a promise with him.

"Seems like I can't keep our promise, huh? Gods do hate me, don't they?" The desperate expression on a man's face faded as he sighs. He was about to be officially promoted as a Commander in around two weeks. If this didn't happen, he would be a proud of his family and all.

That is if this didn't happen.

He clutches the handle of the military sword at his waist in full regret. Now he understands why he got promoted so fast, from an Ensign to Commander in 3 year without any major work worth for promotion except from the information he got from being a scout.

"I know too much about the secrets you guys had hidden for a long time, so that's the reason you get rid of me, huh? A nice way to kill a young curious veteran who survive from the first attack, is this? Too mundane, those damned old mans." The young man begins to wander around the transporting ship that will get him to his destination. There's no one at the bridge, no crews in sight.

A perfect and silent way to dispose those who were in the way.

"Abyssal Fleet... Look like I may have reason to greet them in person if I managed to survived." He muttered as he unfolds the map, calculating in his mind, the fastest and the nearest safe place from this storm would be...

Solomon Islands, where the news reported for the most dangerous place, the Ironbottom Sound.

If this ship can stand the rage of storm for a long time, why can't she does her work for a little more, he has to survive no matter what the cause. They want to get rid of him, and that's why he'll not let it happen. He had lived for almost thirty years long and he will continue to be a thorn in their sides for all eternity.

"I have to survive.."

He has to fulfill his duty as a soldier; an honest soldier serves his country with life. He will not falter to this scheme, he will counter them, make them reap what they sow, those who seek benefits for their own and make other suffers.

Love country than Life... Why must this phrase have to resound now?

He thought to himself as he looks out to see huge waves coming his way.

"Well, I swear if I die I will avenge myself for sure. And for country? Let's think about that when I live to see another sun..." The man back away from the table and slide down the wall into a crouch position. His teeth gritted with rage, eyes red with bloodshot. No matter how much pain he'll have to suffer, he'll avenge himself. No matter how much time it'll take, he'll find them and hunt them down one by one. Those who hold these dirty secret, those who tainted them and made them to what they are right now, those who set him up to faces this storm, they must die!

The calm naval officer with an easygoing expression is no more. Eyes to eyes, teeth to teeth. If they want him dead, he'll survive and do the same to them. He'll expose them, expose the secret of the origin of Abyssal Fleet!

"I'll make them pay. I'll haunt them, make them suffer the pain they give to others! I'll make them pay for doing this to me!"


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again! I know it's overused but I'll use it anyway. Welcome back to the story of mine, the average T-kun who pray to RNG goddess for Rare ship girls and got rejected. The story is continuing! Please enjoy!

A/N : No, I do not own Kantai Collection. It's Kadokawa's.

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><p>Chapter 2 – Info Manipulator<p>

"Ugh, those girls! When will they learn not to mess with us? They can't win and yet they keep coming at me like crazy! What the hell!" Even the voice seems sweet but with this volume, no one would endure and continue to sleep on with no worry. At least, it did make him pissed.

Even if it's a beautiful woman or a young girl, anyone who disturbs him in his sleep deserves punishment! ...or so, he thought. After a little peek at the situation he manages to get himself into, he decides to close his eyes once again and pray to the gods that this is a dream.

A freaking nightmare, to be specific.

"Hey, hey, stop yelling already. You're disturbing our guest here, _Airfield Princess_." Another voice came up and stops the ruckus completely. He doesn't even know what to do at this point. After all, everything he remembers was that he got disposed off in a desert sea with the most furious storm he'd ever seen in his life.

So, what happened after that wave hits?

Who knows? Gods? Someone has to know what happened to him and why he's still alive? And the thing he wants to know the most is how on earth he is here, at somewhere full of them, the Abyssal Fleet!

"But why did she bring him back?"

Who brings who back? Someone gets him here before he drowned? And it's a 'she' so, of course, it'd be a woman. He somehow feels thankful to that person who saves him in a pinch. But as of fact, they don't save their enemy for a good reason, do they?

'Now, I wish I could've just drown right there.'

"No one knows her intentions, right? Maybe it's on a whim? Or just pity? His cloth looks similar to those Commanders. I think she captured him back as a hostage or something?" Now that's a dangerous talks you girls have got there. So they now labeled him as a hostage? That relieved him a bit that he'll not be eaten.

Well, no one knew what they eat, right?

"But, well, he turned already so we can't just let him off, right?"

'One question! What do you mean by 'turned', misses?' He wants to blurt out right then and there but instead, let's just pretending to be asleep and gathers more information. That'd be better for a lot of reason.

"How about we make use of him? Like, helping Repair crew or something like that?" The first voice named 'Airfield Princess' suggests. He still bugged with the word 'turned' though. But this seems to be interesting, as long as they don't notice him pretending, he can listen as long as he wants.

"But that would be a trouble, right? He doesn't know about us at all. Even though he already turned, it doesn't make him has any knowledge about us, right? What do you think, _Battleship Princess_?" Yes, yes, he doesn't know anything about these girls so there's no way he's gonna be in their Repair crew. Not to mention that it's a labor work, no is a no!

"How about make use of him somehow, like, have funs with him?" This is Battleship Princess's voice? It's calm and soothing but somehow, her word sends a chill runs down his spine. Isn't that some dangerous words? What kind of fun will that be?

Wait! If he still continues pretending to be asleep, this is gonna be the end for him! Yes! It's gotta be! Have to wake up now, right? It's now or never!

"What are you guys doing? Ta-class, why are you stripping him?"

"Oh? Wo-chan! Good timing! You brought him back so, decides! What are we going to do with him?" This voice seems to be Ta-class's. But he missed a chance to wake up! Damn it! So this 'Wo-chan' is the one who help him?

"He's awake. So why don't you guys just ask him instead?"

Busted!

'How the hell did she know?'

"Eh? He's awake?"This voice comes from above him, there's no way in hell that this voice belongs to naught but the 'Ta-class' who was stripping him. If he's busted, he has to open his eyes and face the truth. This is not a dream. He is in the enemy's waters, right at the center of the enemy's base!

So what's the word? What will he be speaking right now that his cover was already blown? Running the processor in his little brain, squeezing every phrase he had learn from his entire life to satisfied this tense and heavy situation.

"Umm, hello?" He said as he finally open his eyes fully and observed the situation he got himself in with a lot more effort than a little peek he had got before this mess. Right atop of him is a young girl clad in white with a large cape. Ta-class seems to be her name, or specie? But no matter what, her appearance right now is what captures his attention the most, covering his entire view with a black fabric, which he identified it as a silk.

Yes, she's about to shove her crotch into his face.

"Whoa? What? You stare at my crotch so intense right after you open your eyes? Are you some kind of a pervert?" Her words did hurt him a bit but with her voice, it seems less dangerous. Like a sweets laced with a poison. A sweet poisons which will lure any man in.

"No, I didn't."

"Stop it already, you're on top of him and you blame him for being a pervert? It's like a pot called a kettle black. You're an exhibitionist yourself. I don't want to hear that from you ever again. Now, move aside." With Battleship princess's command, he got a full view of the whole situation with a little whine from Ta-class. As a pale woman walk to him, he rolled his eyes to examined the room while still have an opportunity. It was a small room consists of nothing but a couch, a table set, and dusts.

Nothing more, nothing else.

It's a bit far from his imagination, though.

"Ah, that's right." Somehow, reminding himself of their true origin. This isn't far from expected, they're a girl, a woman, what they taught in the military school of their nature are all lies they came up for their own benefits. They are not a fearsome, mindless creature that want to get rid of humanity and claim the lands for themselves.

They are just a girl.

"What's right? You're in the center of enemy fleet and you still have this calm attitude?" He looks up to the cause of this voice. Battleship princess, her whole attire looks somewhat sexy, if he'd named it, he'd called it a sexy lady type. Her body line, her figure, her face, everything was perfect. A cool beauty that he'd never get a hand on is talking to him.

How fascinating this situation is!

And thus, he overlook her every inhuman traits like her horn and everything else in a blink of an eyes. With his gaze fixing up on her, Battleship Princess frowned hard and look down on him, matching his gaze, she asked again.

"What's with you, aren't you scared?"

"Why would I?"

Now that he had calm himself to this stage of mind, his own rational way of thinking the other known as aloof and problematic ways came back eventually. He's glad he was saved by them but the rage he have in store for those who set him up in the first place is still living on in his very soul. There's no way he'd fear those with the same fate.

"Why wouldn't you? That's troublesome indeed! You're an oddball, aren't you? That's why they'd set you up in the center of that storm! Your technology right now would be able to predict its course without fail. Why, why would they do this to you? Why, indeed?" Now is the more cheerful and chaotic voices with a weird way of speaking, coming from behind of Battleship princess.

"Airfield Princess, don't interrupted me while I'm still not done with my talking." A cool voice of Battleship Princess warded of the other girl who clad in white in an ease. But that only change her attention to be fully on him instead.

"Now, now, no matter how bad you're, they won't kill an admiral that easily, right? What have you done? Stealing? Murdering? Fufu, or are you a rapist who attacks some higher rank's daughter?" He flinched a little when a certain words escape her little mouth. That mistake of him did act like a bait and lure her closer with a crazy, innocent smile he had never seen before. There's no freaking way someone with a normal mind state can make that smile.

This girl's nuts.

"So you did raping? Aww, that's cool!"

"Airfield Princess, please don't bother him that much." A cool and soothing voice comes in, interrupting the maniac clad in white, saving him in process. It's a girl they'd called 'Wo-class and Wo-chan' He didn't know any of them but he knew this girl.

A pale girl with an extraordinary large head ornament, no, he can't say it's an ornament or any kind of an accessory. It's one of Abyssal Fleet's vessel – Nu-class light aircraft carrier – which attached itself onto her head. There are some theory said that the part on her head are her main body and the human body is just like a limb from head parts like other tentacles. But still, even with weird looking things on her head, her beauty didn't fade.

Pale blues marble-like eyes glaring at him sending daggers stabbing him head to toes. He can't avoid the gaze, let alone looking back at her is already made him like a pest lured in by the alluring light of the hunter.

But somehow, the reason why she – Wo-class Aircraft carrier – had saved him is still unknown. And as he's about to open his mouth to deny what they have misunderstood, the girl who he put in so much trust and doubt blurted out something that almost made him died of the shock.

"So you did rape, Wo?"

"…Wo?"

"Wo!"

"…Wo!?"

"Wo.."

"Erm? What language did she just use? Japanese isn't your mother tongue?" When he turned around for some help, what he only finds right there is a facing away Ta-class, giggling Battleship Princess, and laughing Airfield Princess.

"She's just messing with you, human. No, as you are right now I wouldn't call you a human anymore. A former human would be better term for the you right now." As she finished, he looks down to finds that his attire is not the naval uniform he had wore anymore. But just a plain ragged shirt with an old torn up pants. And as to be exact, his left leg from below the knee, it does not exist anymore.

"My leg!?"

"Wo, I need to cut it to save you from the sunken transport ship you were in. If I hadn't done that, you'd have died out of drowning. But when you were rescued here, you're not breathing anymore. So that's can't be help, wo." Even though his lips shut tight, inside his mind is screaming. He can't feel anything down below knee, and that made him worried sick.

Is there any other part of his body missing?

After a brief moment of confirmation, he only found that he only lost his left feet. And a bit of addition of scars on his face and body. That's a relief that he only lost half of the limb, and to his savior kindness, there is a black steel peg leg attached. Make it less hard for him to move around for some unknown reason.

"You didn't seem much surprised. Your nerves are really something." He looks up to Battleship Princess who is still standing in front of him, eyeing for an answer behind that sentence of hers. He really is an oddball when it comes to an interrogation or any form of torment. He had experience too much of those from enemy before the Abyssal Fleet's first strike on humanity.

He is a war dog, a veteran info collector who runs behind enemy line for everything which will change the tide of war. And he being good at his duty had put him in this situation. Knowing too much can get one's hurt, and now he's experiencing that situation.

Of course he'd be immune to any kinds of torment from enemy.

Not these kind of enemy, though.

Suddenly, he felt chills ran down his spine as a soft, gentle, yet cold hand of an enemy in front of him brushed against his scarred cheek. A questioning look gets him nowhere near answer. He had to speak up, but what kind of talk would be appropriate for this situation?

"What will you do in this situation, ex-human admiral?"

"I was just a vice-commander, so I can't answer your question? Sorry for being rude but would you mind let go of me? It's not that I hate the touch but I didn't like it either." Her hand did flinched a bit, he knew. Being stoic and stone cold always brought him bad results, but as of now, it seems not.

"Then how about now, will you answer her question, admiral?"

Cocking her head as she spoke, Wo-class Aircraft Carrier hands him a roughly folded clothes. The question made no sense until he took a closer look on it. Thick, rough, black fabric made into clothes for those who died in action many years ago. It's a naval uniform from long times ago. An admiral's uniform from back when the rage of Abyss was brought to humanity.

"Wo-class, what are you doing? With this attitude of his, there's no way he could lead us to victory in this war..." She does looks like a leader but with a glare from the pale girl, Battleship Princess stopped rambling all her thought in a second.

"What will you do, if you were our admiral?" Their eyes locked, pale blues and dirty golds, one was a former Aircraft Carrier who had served under the imperial naval to her purpose and abandoned, and the other one was a former human who had served his country 'til his last breath as a human beings.

The proposed man squint his eyes and looks down on the clothes in his hands. There's no tense or killing intent from the others in this room. They respect this girl judgment this much? Isn't it a logic that the weak obey the strong, a wild's rule?

To him, she looks weaker than both princesses present in this room. But somehow with her eyes still glued to his very movement, she did look stronger to him for a brief seconds until she press on him for the answer with a...

"Wo?"

Having too much confident in himself or overestimating his very own being or not. It looks like this girl knows something the others do not know. Something that only he and she know, a secret of the fleets. And she wants to uses him to the fullest extent for their same goal.

Smiling, he unfolds the clothes and sighs.

"You guys have already won a war, this is but a battle. They human cannot even set sail at ease with your presence known to them. Their morale is already next to none. Have more confident!" Words from a former enemy do have an impact on them, as of now, the one's speaking do talked like he did not know his place, but something in his voice made a stoic expression on Battleship Princess vanished.

"But how the hell can we trust you? It does look like you still have something you want to do as a human you, right? You might as well just turn us in, or propose a suicide mission, am I wrong?" The easy going, crazy Airfield Princess is no more, this one particular maniac is now have this serious look on her face which he did not expect her to has.

"Heh, doubt me all you want. What I just said was naught but truth. When you guys launched an attack on humanity the first time, they fear you. But as the time passed and you didn't launch an attack ever again, they grew more and more confident in themselves, and strike back." Clicking his tongue, he lean back against the couch, clothes in hand, waiting for an interesting outcome.

"We had no intention of attacking them. All we want is just a peaceful place for us to live our life, not being bother by anything." Ta-class who has remained quiet all this time spoke up, stating her thought out loud.

Just to made him smile wider.

"But you did strike once, and that is enough reason for them to burn you alive. Don't ever underestimate human, I was one myself not long ago. I did think like them and still do right now. The reason you guys are still alive and well is because they did not have enough resource to go on a full-scale war with the Abyssal fleet."

"What made you think it's the truth? They did want to get rid of you. It's not that weird for them to feed you with false information, isn't it?" Battleship Princess stated as she put up her arms, folding, create a tense atmosphere to press him down.

"No, they did not trick me, it's me who had tricked them."

This gained their questioning looks from every single of his new comrade.

"I am their source of info, call me an information manipulator or whatever you want, but..." He paused, pointing at his temple with an index finger, as well as flashing an evil smile. "It's me who get all information they want back and feed them. And it's me again who dug through everything they did, exposing their secret."

"With their technology and labors, they can put together a fleet of hundred ship girls whenever they want. That is, if they know about the resource's information I had kept secret from the military." His traditional aloof smile grew wider as their eyes widen.

"Wha- Wait! What do you mean by a hidden resource? You betrayed them even before we got you!?" Not bothered by Ta-class sudden rises of voice, he folded his arms up and closes his eyes, finding a good way to tease them more.

"You did it, because you knew it? Wo?"

His intent of teasing faded as he heard her voice. Wo-class Aircraft Carrier somehow has an odd impact on his very action. He doesn't know why and doesn't even want to know.

Now that she opened the topic, he might as well add in the reason of his doings too. Why he had slowed them down and forced them to run on very little resources supplies. He did it to help them, help these girls to find an answer of their own and to end this war on their own.

But now that he is on this side, might as well helps them out a bit, right?

"Yes, I knew it. Everything, right from the start up until now. How they had created you, how they had abused you. Tainted you to the very soul and abandoned you like a piece of trashes. I, myself, cannot stand the ways they did things." Booming with righteousness, his voice surrounded the room, enveloped those who have no clues of what happening with the feeling of trust and justice.

"I want to help you guys from this little heart of mine. You found it pitiable or what, I don't care. All I want is to bring back your rights as living beings, no, the rights to do everything you guys want back." Standing up and put on the black ragged admiral uniform, his hand slowly raised up to a salute position.

"All I want is for you, every one of you in the Abyssal Fleet, to have what you all want to have. Thing that had been stripped off from you the moment you become tainted." The man now has a hard and stoic looks on his face as he said it. He know that if he wants to do this, he'll clashed with them someday in near future.

The very reason of his planned trip to one of the IJN's operation base. With the fierce storm, he stranded away from the destination real far and have to turn back to reach the destination, to face the storm directly.

He wanted to go through and met her, and now he can't. In addition to that, he might as well fight her in these sorrowful waters. He did fear that she will despise him, but if she also knew the truth, she'll take his side for sure. All he has to do is direct the command of the Abyssal Fleet, train these girls as well as train a certain admiral to be as much capable of the war as possible. He'll have to survive to see tomorrow light with them, these girls surrounding him.

"I, Isamu Hisoka, hereby abandoned the duty of serving Imperial Navy and take up this role as a guidance of the Abyssal Fleet. I'll protect you girls to my very extent. No matter the cause or the price I'll have to pay, you all will survive to the day I bring you back what was rightfully yours." Stand tall the now Abyssal Admiral Isamu Hisoka, his eyes ablaze with gold amber with a stern and stoic expression. He'll do everything to render the Imperial Navy useless, get back what was these girls' from them.

Their freedom, their life. Everything they did to these girls, they all had to pay the price!


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome back to feel the cruelty of RNG goddess who rages upon us! Grinding and Expedition get you nowhere but they strengthen your fleets! Please sit back and enjoy a certain story of a certain admiral who has to face the truth!

A/N : No, I do not own Kantai Collection. It's Kadokawa's.

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><p>Chapter 3 – Trip to Mainland<p>

*Knock Knock*

"Commander, a message has arrived! There's a letter from the Imperial Navy for you!" A cheerful voice that rings through the wooden door which was following by a knock makes the inhabitant flinch before voicing the source of surprise to come in. The chirping voice belongs to the girl very close to the inhabitant, the 8th of Kagerou class destroyer, Yukikaze.

"Is it urgent? They rarely sent anything beside supplies to us." She knows very well about the Imperial Japanese Navy, much to the extent that they'd rather go fishing instead of care about the frontline base with no hope like here.

"It did mark as an urgent and direct to you, so I didn't open it. Are you alright, Commander? You seem really down for almost a week right now." A caring intent hidden in her chirping voice catches her whole attention from the urgent letter from the HQ. Her eyes lift up from the envelope of the letter and look at Yukikaze.

"I'm waiting for my father, Yukikaze. He has to arrive at the base last Saturday but he still hasn't show up. Well, it's not like something will happen to him out of the blue like that, right?" She smiles at her destroyer and look back at the letter in her hands. What does the Imperial Navy wants from a low rank admiral like her, anyway?

Her hunch did tell her it's something bad, but as it is from the HQ, she can't avoid it. Opening the envelope, the female admiral scans through all the content in a short moment.

Meanwhile, Yukikaze who still worries about the admiral looks around and spots the name plate on top of the desk in front of her. It was crafted with the name of this older girl in an oversized navy uniform. 'Isamu Hiyori', Yukikaze repeated in her mind, her commander's name always sounds good, she has to admit.

She looked back at her commander and frowns hard as a gasp escapes her lips. The gap between Yukikaze and her commander shortened in an instant as she did a short dash around the desk to the girl's aid.

"What's happened, Commander?" Holding her flailing superior in her tiny arms, Yukikaze asked. Despite being limp in a short moment, the young female admiral is still trying to stand tall in front of her underling. But still, she fails and causes even more trouble by taking a lot of things on the desk down with her to the floor.

"Commander!"

Grapping to her secretary's little shoulder, the trembling female admiral is on the verge of tears, yet she's still trying to act tough and mustered all her strength to smile.

"It's nothing, Yukikaze, I just didn't feel alright for a little bit there." Not believing her word, Yukikaze helps her superior up back to the chair behind the desk and fall back to get her some fresh water. It was rarer than seeing Shiranui smiles to see her Commander with this expression on her face. What was in that letter, really?

"Commander, is everything all right?" The destroyer asks with concern in her voice. If her superior doesn't want her to worry then she won't. But it still bugged her very much for the content of that letter to make her precious commander to be like this. After receiving an empty glass back, she retreats to her spot beside the desk and wait.

Watching her commander carefully read through the letter again, she waits. Waits for the moment when this girl knows that she's not alone and asks for helps. Even a comforting is fine by her but to endure this sight? It's harsher than doing an Exercise alone.

"I said that my father was late for our meeting, didn't I?" Hiyori speaks with a sad smile on her face which Yukikaze knows too well what she's going to talk about. Despite her childlike appearance, Yukikaze is still one of the warships known as the shipgirls, a war veteran. She now knows all too well about what was in the letter.

"Commander..."

Even with that entire bloating, a war veteran or what, she doesn't know how to comforts the girl in front of her effectively. She's still a weapon, not a genuinely human. Having heart and emotion did make her feels like being human but in reality she didn't.

Yukikaze sighs inwardly and walk over, closer than before and wraps her arms around the bigger girl in front of her. To think that a brave and keen commander of hers can be like this is a surprise. For her, Commander Hiyori always put everyone's lives first before missions. With the enemy flagship in front of a fleet but with one of the girls got damage badly, she orders a retreat. Always so caring, always so kind, and always too good to be a soldier.

Yukikaze once received a hug like this from the girl in her embrace, it feels better and make her forgot what was troubling her in one swift moment. But looking at her superior now, it seems that her hug was not as effective as what she once received.

Still sobbing, Isamu Hiyori clings onto the little destroyer tighter, let the despair of losing someone so close in the same line of work and so close to her heart being washed away by the sound of the sea's waves. Navy doesn't cry, their tears go into the ocean, is what that person always told her when she has had a nightmare or remembering about her dead mother. She believed and hasn't ever cried since.

But right now, the sea that claimed her beloved rejects her tears.

"The storm that hit us three days ago, it was *hic* the one that.. killed him. *Hic* My father was killed by the Abyssal Fleet tailing after them *hic* in the storm. My only family *hic* He's gonnnne––!" It was tighten, both two girls' embrace for each other. Yukikaze is not familiar with this feeling at all but she need to endure it with her for the sake of this very girl who might just cries her eyes out.

"It's alright, Commander. I'm here for you so it'll be all right."

Of course, it's not gonna be alright, her father just passed away because of an Abyssal Fleet strike! Yukikaze knows her words meant nothing, but to her surprise, the girl before her calmed down a little bit and soften the tight hug. They didn't part, but also didn't go for another round. One is enough for the brave admiral assigned for the front line in her 16. It's normal for a girl to cry, but it is not for a genius IJN ever had in decade.

"So, are you going back to the main land?"

"Yes, his body was recovered but got torn to shreds by the Abyssal. The survivors of that transport ship identify the culprit to be Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier. It's a truth or not, I don't know. Wo-Class does not known for her endurance, there's no way she'd be in that storm like that, just the same with our Carrier." What her superior said goes right into her ear and then goes out from the another. Yukikaze was just post at this base for only about a week, so her experiences were just too little to know the wrath of the Carriers.

"So it's like that. But why would the Imperial Navy lied about something like this?" Yukikaze's word marked the truth. Why would the Imperial Navy lied about something this little compare to other matter? She maybe labeled a genius, but it's only just with warfare, not with something like this.

"It doesn't matter. Discussing over this only hinder my leave. Yukikaze, call over the Nagato-class to took over the base from me tomorrow, then Shimakaze and Shigure to prepare for a trip to mainland at 6000 tomorrow morning. I'll be at the Developing Departments if you need something. When you're done, please get some rest, you worked very well past few days, you deserves it."

With a swift movement like the world would crumbling down if she was a second too late, her superior gathered everything she need and rushes out in haste. Leaving only the mesmerized Yukikaze to ponder about what had just happened.

"I wonder, me or her, who was the emotionless tool for war?"

The ship girls are a tool to wages wars upon the abyssal. Their only purpose in life is to fight until they died. And to die fighting, it is nothing but an honor to carry to death. It was for an emotionless killing tool, not a girl with that bright smile when they've first met in this vast ocean.

"Her father, what kind of person that would raise such a girl with those beautiful smiles? If you're really gone then I wish you the kiss of fortune goddess, to make it easier for you in after death." The young destroyer sighs at the sight of a military sword beside the desk. Even though she was in hurry but to forget a sword which will identify her rank is really something else.

Grabbing the sword, Yukiakaze rushes through the schedule in her memory for whereabouts of Nagato and Mutsu. Once she's done with the Battleship then she'll head for dormitory and passes the words to two of her destroyer-comrades.

Such a nice day to be ruined by a bad news, Yukikaze begrudgingly curses the Imperial Navy in her mind and prepare a lunchbox for her forgetful superior with a help from Mamiya. Packing the necessity that her Commander might forget and done with everything necessary when she'll be absent consumed her a lot of times.

With a sad smile on her always-smiling face, Yukikaze can only hope that Commander Hiyori won't suffer the same fate as her beloved...

* * *

><p>Wishing, praying, any deeds which give oneself such a false hope has been done for a long period of times. Now, he still prays behind the mountain of paperwork he didn't imagine confronting back then when he agreed upon being an admiral. If he was a target of those high ranked officers, then why wouldn't his daughter too be the target of same fate? There's conflict in his mind, debating within his consciousness that the girl might not be in harm or even safe and sound. But because of no contact between him and her for a long-long time, he did have no clues.<p>

But he couldn't read the future. No prophecy can be believed. Future of an individual can be changed whenever they choose the different path. But as of fact, all will dies when the time comes, what matter is soon or later on.

"Wo. If you're sighing like that, your life will be shortened, you know?" Now facing his savior, Abyssal Admiral Hisoka dims his field of vision only just to barely enough for the work in front of him, didn't even mind to pay attention to those icy cold eyes glaring at him emotionlessly. Beautiful or not, it is still unnerving for him to sort out the paperwork for this Anchorage base or even breathing fresh air peacefully.

"You know, Wo-Class? It'd be best for me if you stop munching all those bauxite and starting to help me sort out these papers. I want it to be done by sun-down but if you're not helping? Then don't be such a bother." Concentrating on what's in front of him, Hisoka dismissed the Carrier and never pay attention to her again, until she strikes the conversation in a topic he finds interesting.

"I know you know me, wo."

A pen in his hand stopped jotting down all notes and fall onto the paper covered desk. His dirty gold irises dart to the front at the Carrier who was still doing her Aircraft maintenance. She's skilled in her field of work, but with that deadly sentence, he has no praise for this girl.

"I know you, the past you, but it does not matter anymore, isn't it?"

If her face was plastered with gentle smile at their first meet in this Anchorage base, he'd be freak out instantly facing the dead. He wouldn't call her dead, but with his and her status now they're the same. So pointing a finger at her and called her a ghost would be cursing himself too.

"Hmm, that might be the best way out for you. Wo.."

She chuckled softly, but still with no smile.

"Why did you save me back then? It can't be because you know me. In a sea in a middle of the night, there's no way you can recognize me at all." She had changed too much he can't remember her at all at first sight. But with almost a week together with her being his only secretary ship, it's dawn on him her true identity.

"Don't underestimate our vision in the dark. It's just girl intuition."

"Not funny at all hahaha. Seriously, why?"

She stares back at him and speak up.

"You can't recognize me at our first met as different species. But I can, when we're not the same or even when we're the same. Being human, fleet girl, and now abyssal being, I remember everything the day I started to remember up until now. Silly? Don't laugh. Wo." He didn't even crack a smile so why worry about laughter. She's an oddball inside these gentle looks of hers.

Still the same as ever.

"Can't underestimate woman no matter what form she is in, hmm?"

It's the first time he saw her lips curving up into a smile. An expressionless Wo-Class starting to smile would be a bad lie no one in this base would believe upon hearing.

"That smile feels so nostalgic. The first time I've seen it was when-"

*Knock Knock*

"Hey! Greenie admiral, the 4th Expedition fleet has returned! Don't just sit still lazing around and do some work!" Upon hearing the Heavy Cruiser's voice, Hisoka gapes a little at how fast the girl before him brings back her façade. Even faster than him, to be exact.

"Seem like your information is no joke. This is the sixth times an Expedition fleet full of Transport ship comes back with such a ruckus. The other three is still on their way to the material site and build up the stock, but with this many resources, the Princesses can't argue about your position anymore." Her word reminds him of what was going on at the joint meeting that happened two days ago. He experienced it first handed of what a Princesses and Demons can do when they're pissed at the sight of an outsider.

"I did promise them the resources and here comes the resources. Those islands are treasure troves, and it's a miracle that I can conceal its existence for this long with them being under their nose." No one would want to explore a desert islands which cannot be easily access through sea surface. But it's easy when you can submerged and enter via natural tunnel buried deep under the sea.

"It is not a miracle that they didn't know. It is a miracle that you somehow know about those islands in the first place." With that monotone voice, he can't ensure which is joke and which is praise. The Admiral just shrugged and got up from his desk, ready the paper for listing down the exact amount of the resources to make sure that the sharing between each base is fair and square.

But just as he began to walk, he was stopped by a slender hand covered in black glove before him signaling a halt. Following the extremely pale limb, his gaze met with hers, stop dead in track like staring a serpent.

"What?"

"I'll help."

Hisoka stand there awestruck, never even have the thought of getting help from her in his mind. And then he starts to smile as the pale woman in front of him frowning like, was her offering help that weird, before trotting back a little.

"I just want to do my job. What's wrong with that?"

"Nup, nothing's wrong with Miss Secretary who wants to do her job properly. It'd be great help if you go to Stock number 5 and sorting the resources there. I'll count the new one and will send it to you when finished. After that we'll go to Battleship Princess's place and asks her for some escort fleet." The order was not long but it seems confusing. Wo-Class digested it with a hard face and cocks her head to side at the last sentence.

"Why escort fleet from Battleship Princess's? Ours is not good enough? We have Ta-Class, Ru-class, and a lot of I-class. Where do you want to go anyway, wo?" Her verbal tic is somehow amusing for him and start to get him rubbed off with some 'wo' at the end of his thought. But with her question, he'll just state what he want that his little fleet cannot provide.

"Our fleet only consists of you, 2 Ta-Class, 2 Ru-Class, 3 Ri-Class and a lot of I-Class. With where I want to go, we need a submarine." If her pale face can be even paler, she'd win over the paper. A submarine escort fleet can only means trouble.

"IJN? Wo.. Checking on someone? Or wanting something? Wo?"

"You're sharp. I have to check on someone just like you said. But wanting something? I'd say wanting someone. When we get to the mainland and found a suitable hideout, I'll tell you the details." In her eyes, no matter how much time has passed since when she first met him as a little girl not experienced enough summer to two digits count. His smile, this smile, was the image that burnt itself onto inner of her eyelids. She remembers it after got turned into a Fleet girl willingly even though her memories are supposed to be rewritten. And now tainted with grieve and regret, turned into the Abyssal vessel, his smile's now vividly clear as real one before her.

For a person like him to seek danger...

"This someone might be really interesting, wo."


	4. Chapter 4

Hiyah! Been so long and RNG Goddess still has no mercy on me! ROFL I tried too much LSC and now I'm broke. So, more chapter, yay! A never ending pain and suffering for getting Taihou is real I confirmed. I got my Yamato with only two try, though. It's a fluke. Beginner's luck is not real.

A/N : No, I do not own Kantai Collection. It's Kadokawa's.

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><p>Chapter 4 – Those who bound by duty.<p>

Blue sky, blue ocean, everything is so blue in her field of vision, yet it feels so grey for her knowing that someone who will be there and wait for her is already gone, claimed by the sorrowful deep sea. There's no usual laughter surrounding her just like every time she goes out for a trip to mainland. With their superior's state of mind right now, even if they want to, Shimakaze and Shigure can only stay beside her silently.

"Admiral, you can go inside, you know? We will take care of it up here by ourselves. You need to rest a lot before we got to the mainland." Shigure tapped on Hiyori's shoulder and tightens up her grip, assuring that she will be secured with two of the most experienced Destroyers with her.

"That's right, Admiral! With Shimakaze right here there's no way I'm gonna let anything harm you!" Clinging to Hiyori arm, Shimakaze chirping happily trying to uses her own merry to rub off on her superior. But to no use, the older girl before her only cracks a soft, sad smile.

"I can't sleep for two nights straight, let alone resting. It's somehow feeling... so empty inside me." The wind blow make the girls' long hair fluttered, showing off the target of the two's concern a bag under her red eyes. From the look of it, her word didn't seem to be a lie. Shimakaze doesn't know what to do despite being with the girl in front of her almost the longest in the fleet. But on the other hand, Shigure who familiar with this emotion know what that helps.

"Admiral, it's only the matter of time. No one can ever escape death even us ship girls." It was just like Shigure's word, but Hiyori can't get it off of her head at all with those nightmare featuring Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier nights ago. How was his last moment? The letter said that he operated the transport ship by himself and let the crew escape via life boats. Was it really a truth? Her father was not that kind of people who'd like to sacrifice himself for someone he didn't even know.

"I know, Shigure. It's just that, I can't get it off my mind. My father can't just die off like that. A tough man like him can't be killed so easily."

"So you're saying that it might be a lie?" Shigure had also already read the letter and know what was not right with it. If the daughter, who is so logical, didn't believe it then there's a possibility. A corpse torn to shreds cannot be identifying so easily. It can be just somebody's corpse. But what's the reason behind the entire scheme?

"It might be so."

There's only silent beside the waves before the other girl who can't seems to keep up with the conversation tries to make a place for herself in this talk.

"So, Admiral. What's your father like? Does he look like you?"

Widening her eyes a little, Hiyori smiled and answers.

"No, he doesn't look like me at all. To be frank, we're not blood related. I was an orphan back then because of the first Abyssal's strike. He took me in and teach me everything I'm capable of now. A great man, but to think that he would end up like that is such a tragedy." When the first strike happened, she was saved by the Imperial Army and lives at the orphan for couple of months. It was not long before someone from the army and navy came to look for any labor or even capable soldier in the orphan.

They have to work for food.

She was helping in the army's kitchen for a while and got caught stealing food for her siblings back at the orphan by Hisoka. Back then he was just an ordinary soldier, but not after long. He was transferred to Navy as a special agent, to be exact, a scout.

Her future adoptive father is someone who cannot be trusted so easily. He works as a scout for the Army and yet he also sold information about the Army to the Navy for a reasonable price. He's a bad guy who will do everything to get what he wants. And what he wants was freedom for all who don't want to wage a war with the Abyssal.

She too, was one of his goals.

It was not long before he got promote into an official scout of the Navy and adopted her as his adoptive daughter. His outside was ragged, harsh, like a sneaky bastard, but yet on the inside he was kind and gentle. Teach her everything she needs to know in order to live her own life in future. At first, he didn't want her to become an Admiral for a reason he kept her in the dark. But after a series of begging and pleading, he complied and made her keep a promise.

That when he became an Admiral like her, they'll meet again, but until then, they're not father and daughter. She didn't know why at first, but she knew what happened after when they saw her surname. Too many expectation incoming for her with just only have the same surname with her father. It's a safe because he gets out of his way and confirmed to the officer that we're not related at all. That keeps her out of trouble in exchange of loneliness.

She grew attached to him, and she hopes she would be able to see him again someday with their status as father and daughter officially known.

But then that day won't come.

"Admiral?"

"Ah? Oh, it's nothing, Shigure."

"Hey, hey, Admiral. Do you have his picture with you? I want to know how he looks like!" Shimakaze's plead made Hiyori paused a little as if pondering over something hard. Her father's picture is always inside her uniform's pocket, but if she pulled it out now there's no guarantee that the tears she held back right at this very moment won't drip down again. Young admiral chewed her lips in thought, then lets out a long sigh before pulling the picture out.

"Here, careful, okay?"

The person in a picture is a man in his late twenty, clad in white naval military uniform. He had on a stoic and expressionless face but in his eyes, a light of glee can be noticed easily because of who he held in his arms. The kid was her, Hiyori, who was free from any duty and got kidnapped by her father to get this picture done.

"It was after the first week we shared together under the same roof. He was so kind to me back then before I decided to join the Navy. He's still kind to me when no one's around though." Hiyori ended it with a smile and snatches the picture back from Shimakaze and Shigure.

"His eyes look just like yours, Admiral."

"Heh, even though we're not related, we're still father and daughter after all. Just like you said, I'll go get some rest before the end of the day. With this speed, we'll be in Japan waters in no time. I can't afford to face the higher ranks with this appearance. See you two around." Without looking back, the fatigue ridden female admiral makes her way through the deck down to her personal quarter, leaving only both of the Destroyers behind by themselves.

"She's not the same as usual, isn't she?"

"Of course, it's her father after all. It's not a first time for me to get a glimpse of this side of hers, but this is a bit too much, I'd say." The destroyer of Shiratsuyu-class lament in her own mind of the past. She too had experience something like this, even though it was just a ship memories but seeing her beloved Yamashiro suffered like that hurts her so much.

"Everyone has their own tragedy to lament over. We know it all too well, aren't we?"

For the always-so-cheerful Shimakaze to voices out something like this is new. It's a truth, but to come out from this speed-freak is just like she was dreaming or some sort. Shigure shook her head a little, warded off everything that still bugging her and brings up her usual calm composure.

"How was Yuudachi? Still recovering from that last sortie?"

Now, this is new...

"Why bother asking? You just saw her before we got ready at the port, right? She's fine. You see, she's so weak like that on the outside but she's really a strong girl."

The one and only Shimakaze-class's chuckled.

"A really strong girl who can't seem to bear being away from you, I supposed." This earned herself a small and quiet laugh as Shigure thinks back to her sister at the base. Yuudachi is really strong in both combat and mind, but is it really alright for her to sortie so frequently?

"Even though she's strong, but she thinks it's not enough to protect you from any harm. That kind of girl would rather want herself to be a pincushion instead of seeing you hurt." A serious talk from someone like Shimakaze is a rare occurrence. Shigure thought about what the other girl said and shot back one of her own question.

"You know about these things rather well, huh?"

"I've been dealing with such a girl before so take it as guidance from someone who experienced it first handed. We all knew about it, at one point when we woke up and start living as Fleet girl, our own long forgotten past." A past is meant to be remembered, what had occurred once will root itself deep in our mind. Waiting for an absolutely critical moment to resurfacing, causing us an immense pain in process.

"So, you believe in those images after all?"

"It's according to history, Shigure. If those images in our mind, those we see in our sleep is really true then this is another war. I remember it clearly like it was yesterday. When I was sunk down with them at the Ormoc Bay, it was 1944. Now is just a little bit after 1970. The Great War did end but the new threat emerged just as quick. Even though we now have an appearance of girls. We're just a weapons, to think about a long distance past is futile. Something like this was just a fruitless thinking." But with her word denying feeling of loneliness and sadness, her face says it all out aloud of what she's thinking. One after another. Before, it was her superior and now it's this girl, Shigure sighed and pats her fellow destroyer on a head.

"You said that it's fruitless, but you still miss them, right?"

"She was like, one of my only friends? How can I not missing her!?" Gritting her teeth, Shimakaze slammed her fists on the railing and looks down into the deep sea below.

"Don't you feel it at all? Every time we sortie, there was this voice calling out to me. Always preaching and pleading, want me to go home, down there, in the abyss with them." After that sentences were only a following silent. Both Shigure and Shimakaze stood still, letting the waves claim their sadness and sorrow away before starting up a conversation again with different topic.

"In the letter, they said that this trip was not only for Admiral's father's funeral, but also for us to retrieve something, but what was it again?" Here comes again, the usual cheerful voice of Shimakaze. Causing Shigure to flinches at the suddenness before she calmed herself down and tells her what she remembered.

"It's an amphibious assault vessel, her name is Akitsumaru. And if I'm not mistaken, she's one of the army's vessels."

"Amphibious? What's she gonna be, heh? I can't wait! I hope she's fast!"

* * *

><p>"The Army's vessel? The Army? Really? ..a 'ship' from the army?" Rather than getting an escort from the submarines, Hisoka was shocked when the princess herself offers him a full support and even sends someone within her league with him. This another princess who now kept his mouth always opens is the one and only Airfield Princess.<p>

"Yes, the info I got just recently before I was set on a suicide scheme was that the Army have gained one of your-no, our technology and trying to replicate Fleet girl like what Navy did." Now cooking their meal, Hisoka held in his annoyance of getting asked every five minutes and continues with his own task. A trip from the abandoned Shortland Anchorage base to the mainland was the fastest he ever experienced. Not mentioning the hardship of enduring not to succumb to the lack of oxygen, the trip was luxury.

"So, will those girls be like us or them Fleet girls?"

"I suppose they'd be more like Fleet girls, they're meant to be our enemy after all. Wo." He looked back at a source of the voice and grimaces at the sight of his secretary chewing up precious bauxite. Wo-Class right now pretty much lacks every appearance of the Abyssal Fleet's vessel. She somehow got rid of the Nu-Class on her head and now clad in a plain black blouse dress, her choice of disguise.

"I appreciate that you like the taste of my foods, and wanting more and more of it every day. I also appreciate that you didn't come and steal some ingredients just to suppress your hunger while I'm still cooking. But to chew up our precious bauxite like a snack like that is a bad habit, you know? I don't mind snacking before lunch, but please leave those bauxites alone unless needed. Okay?" She looked at him straight into the eyes and then chomps down a mouthful of the precious material before putting them away inside the supply cases.

"Now that's lovely. Wait for a minutes and your fried eggs will be ready."

This entire scene was in the spectator's eyes all along, Airfield Princess just grinned widely and tackles him in the back, almost shove his face into the frying pan unwillingly.

"Princess?"

"It's weird seeing you be so familiar with us so fast like this. Was you a womanizer before become our admiral, hmm?" Her giggling echoed throughout the whole room he got for them days ago with a little bit of help from money he got from selling stuff he found at the base. There's still a lot of an expensive things left at the base, mind you. Like this, he has no worry over money at all.

"I'd say I'm familiar with dealing with new things. But to think that it'd be you who come with us to the mainland in Battleship Princess's stead, it was a bit of a shock. Aren't you also a princess? Why obey her command?" Finally lifting the pan up and turned off a stove, Hisoka looked back and faces the young-looking chaotic princess head on.

She then, again, giggles.

"I didn't obey her command and first of all, it wasn't a command that make me came with you instead of lazing around waiting for the patrol to return in my territory. They didn't reached my territory for such a long times already so I just gave up and have some fun around the other's base. That's all. It's just boring so I came in her stead." Even though she's smiling but with her eyes wide open like she's high on caffeine, he find her personality a bit bugging but didn't bother for long. She's just a bit uncertain and all, her cheerful self really made him sustain the day with the emotionless Wo-Class better.

"Wo. I think you just insult me in your mind, Admiral."

Is she a demon or something?

"No way, why would I insult my cute little secretary in my mind? I'd rather compliment her for being a good girl instead." It was sarcasm and all but to think that this Wo-Class would take it seriously is extremely funny. Airfield princess beside him just chuckled at the sight of proud Wo-Class puffing her chest and scoops up some rice. It was a new discovery, the Abyssal eat just like Fleet girls do. They can taste and love the sensation of foods, but they can only get their energy via resources.

During his stay at the Anchorage base was a bit hard because there's no necessity in the base at all. He had to dig around in the mountain of junks to find what he needs to survive and eases his stomach. He was turned into one of them, but he's not really a war vessel so he can't eat resources like them. It wasn't long before he tried to make a meal on his own with some helps from the submarines from Battleship Princess's fleet. It was not great, but the tasty smell lured all of the predators around the base to him.

It really was chaotic.

"By the way, I meant to ask this for quite some times already but, you don't have eyebrows?" The question almost got him a bowl-full of rice in his face, if he didn't catch the Princess's hand just in time.

"It's not that I don't have it! It's just so little that it's almost transparent, that's all! Hmpf!" Now she's fumed and furious, he chuckled a bit and uses chopsticks to pick up some pickled daikon and shoves it in her mouth. It's her favorite so it won't take long until she squirmed and asks for more. He watched her silently and sighs, the fearsome princess from the report of the Navy acting like this could make their minds blown easily.

"I still think it's cute though, no offense at all. It's just that a lot of Princess and Demon are just like this so I'm just curious." She didn't take any of his words after 'cute' in at all. Hisoka then shook his head a bit before continues on the meal preparing. They'd have a grilled fishes, miso soup, fried eggs, and some pickled veggies for lunch. And then after that he'll go and take a look at the submarines hidden around the shore with some foods with him, also with resources.

"I support princess's word. You're a womanizer after all, Admiral. Wo."

"You know the phrase? Curiosity kills the cat. It's fine with me but if you say that to other princesses then I'm sure they'll somehow make you disappear, go *POP*, in the other word." She's still pouting but also helping. They got their meals done in no times and enjoy it with a silent calmness like always. They have been here on the mainland, hidden amongst the citizens, for days and now readying their plans. He's waiting for someone, Wo-Class and Airfield Princess didn't know who but they didn't bother asking. Every acts of this new Abyssal Admiral prove his worthy for the Abyss, just a week of his work at the smallest base, they grew so much in both morale and power.

Just like his boasting, the victory was no illusion after all.

"By the way, what's with the picture you always kept inside your pocket? Lover?"

Hisoka smiled at the question and rephrase what he was told earlier.

"You know it, right? Curiosity kills the cat."

Now, she's pouting again.

"It's not like I'd keep it a secret to you guys forever, but it's a personal matter so I always find it awkward to bring it up."He put down his chopstick and lay back a little, also brings out the picture in question for them to look at.

"Is that you?"

Hisoka didn't answer the princess right away and look at the only Carrier in this house. Wo-Class didn't look at the picture just like he thought. It's a little bit late but he still doubts about her remembering things from the past up until now.

"What you'd be asking is who is the girl I carried. That's my daughter, so drop that womanizer thing, please. It's really bugging."Letting Airfield Princess snatching the picture away from his hand, Hisoka continue with his meal trying to finishes it quickly. He still has to bring a resources to those submarines so he can't just lazing around like these two.

"She is really different from you, it's like you two are not blood related at all. Did your wife cheat?" That question really hit home and made miso soup almost go down the wrong way. Hisoka silently glared at the dumbfound princess and sighs.

"I don't have a wife, and that girl is adopted. I was supposed to meet her about a week ago but things and things happen so I couldn't anymore. That's also the reason I proposed this plan to steal the Army's vessel, it's to see her for the final time." The princess seems to be pondering about something, left the space open foe Wo's question.

"If you want to meet her, then why don't you just go, wo?"

"I can't. She's a high rank naval officer after all, if I remember correctly she's an admiral. Such talent, I'm proud." He rejected Wo-class's opinion smoothly and glance at the other girl who's trembling with excitement.

"Isn't that crazy!? You're abyssal and your daughter is high rank naval officer? Wow, that's the most cliché situation I've ever seen. That's really lack originality, you know? Is this some kind of drama?" She started to laugh her heart out for a moment and abruptly stopped. Those wide eyes now begin to shine dangerously while glaring at him when she opens her mouth again.

"You know about your role, right? If you let the other princess know about this, they're going to treat you like before no matter what you achieved. You have my sympathy, having to fight your own daughter, but this is war, and you know what? If she sees you like this there'll be no hesitation at all." Her words can't be any truer than it already is and he knows that well. Hisoka just put on a smile and ushers her to finishes her lunch.

"Now, now, I know it, that's also the reason for the wait. If I simply want the vessel I can just waltz in and out. What I really want is to see is how she'll react when she meet the vessel. Honestly, this is nothing but an observing mission, there's no need for the princess to come here herself." He chooses to use pickled daikon to silences Airfield Princess again this time and succeed.

"Also, princess."

"Nn?"

"You don't have to worry about me defecting to my daughter or any irrational act. I'm me myself first, and father second. Despite being her enemy, this is the best way to keep her off any harm, don't you agree?" He simply left it like that and gather everything to the sink for cleaning. He didn't really plan anything about meeting with his daughter at all, and he wanted only to see if she's fine or not. He know that talking about this matter is like threatening the abyssal about him being a spy but with what he said, they might find it hard to believe but it's truth.

"All I want was just to end the war and help those who did not desire for it. You girls are also in that category so rest assured. Family or not, she's already long gone from my reach. What I need right now is revenge, the same as you girls."


	5. Chapter 5

Hello there! It's me again. Haha, I have nothing to say about how trolling RNGesus can be this time, so go on to the story, please! Oh, by the way, who do you think Wo-chan really is? Annnd all the theories are just fanon, so if it's sensible to you then that's just great.

A/N : No, I do not own Kantai Collection. It's Kadokawa's.

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><p>Chapter 5 – The Beginning<p>

"Ah, you really save us, if you're slower than this we might sink again for sure." These words resounded in his head are the submarines gratitude for bringing their supplies and an actual food for them. Hisoka took a last glance at the cave hidden from any passerby's vision and looks back on track he's taking. The woods are thick but a path is still clearly visible so there's no way he'll be lost.

But the distance is quite tiring.

Sounds ringing on as Hisoka walked along the path led to a shipyard. This place feels really different, even though the last time he set feet at Yokosuka was just past week, it's still different to his view right now.

His eyes hurt.

It seems that his eyes now are suited for dark place. He turned into a nocturnal because of he turned into an abyssal? It sounds legit to him. After all, the operational base of the Abyssal Fleet are underwater, they who reside deep under water need good eyesight for dark place.

Sighing at this inconvenient, Hisoka tucks his cloak tighter, hiding his appearance even more than necessary. It'd be odd seeing someone walked around like this during the day, but it's still less odd than someone with peg leg wearing an old naval uniform from the last war. Yokosuka naval base was located near a town filled to the brim with naval officer and their relative, if they see his cloth right now he might be kept in custody or something along that line.

Princess's and Wo's clothes are easy to find, in fact, they already wore something common from the beginning before they set off so finding new sets for them was not hard. But he only has this set of cloth so he just can't walk in and try something on. His only choice right now was one of his old friend's shops. So, the point is how. Right now, his death might already be informed to everybody close to him and also all of naval officers.

"This will be hard, disguise as foreigner is hard enough and now this? Hah."

Days after days, he only stuck in this uniform and it's really uncomfortable. On good side, it doesn't really smell anything other than foods. His body temperature is also very low so he doesn't have to bother heat up the bath. And lastly, his body condition right now is better than ever. If push comes to shove, he will be able to beat his way out of every trouble that doesn't involve bullets and guns.

Even when he breathes, it's feels a bit like suffocating. Wo-class said that it's an effect of body adjustment to live undersea. It won't be long until he grows fins, gills, or something.

"Well, I'll just see if he believes in ghost or not."

With destination in mind, he chooses to avoid main road and becomes more suspicious using all the alleyways possible. It's almost noon when he found his way to the cloth store of his old friend. But before he can even open the door, someone beat him to it and welcomes him inside with a smile plastered on face.

"Welcome, Mr. Customer! How can I help you?"

There, in front of him is a girl in her blossom age. The teen with oddly colored hair ushered him inside without even wait for his replied and called out to someone behind the counter. He can't see that person who seems to be doing something under the counter but he remembered that husky voice. Problem lies with this girl, though.

Third of Mogami-class Heavy Cruisers, Suzuya.

"By the way, Mr. Customer, what kind of clothes do you want?" He can't put it that she being so cheerful is good or bad for him, but to meet one of the fleet girl in flesh this soon is like a misfortune. A frontline veteran who met and fought with the Abyssal on daily basis can't see him as anything but a foe. With his look right now, there can't be any mistake.

But however...

"Ah, I told you before didn't I? Don't just rush our customer in like that. Now let me handle this and go do something else." His voice is high-pitched and husky, the same as ever. This Suzuya girl seems to be just a part-timer so it's normal for her to get told off like that. This guy is really picky and need everything to be done his way, that's why he was pushed by the higher ups to retired early despite having lots of major works.

"Muh, fine! I'll be at the storage checking things, then."

It can't be called stormed off, but just as close to that word.

"Now, now, how can I help you, mister?"

"A set of normal cloth would do me just fine, but I don't think you'd forget me that easily, Rear Admiral Hidemasu." A middle aged man squinted slightly after got called by his abandoned rank. But his next move was not just smile or changes of facial expression, a dressmaking scissor at his throat was a prove.

"What do you want?"

Now, his voice is low and reeks with killing intent like his action was not enough to express how much just a name can pissed this guy off.

"Chill down a little bit, won't you? An old friend dropped by to says hi and this is what he got, huh?" Hisoka lifts his hood up a little just for the store owner to sees his face. The result is priceless Hisoka almost choked in his silent laughter.

"How... But? Didn't the IJN... You died, there's even a corpse! This is a dream, right? You're not a ghost, right? No, no, no, I don't have any money to pay off my debt right now, so please..."

"Like I said before, chill down a little, no, chill down a lot and don't make any loud noise. Just that was enough for me already." The face this guy make right now would be enough for anyone who don't know his background to laugh. But for Hisoka, there's only this nostalgia feeling in his chest.

"But, aren't you dead!?"

"Well, you know the drill. It's the Navy we're talking about here. The Army did their job properly unlike those old geezers who didn't even want to get their hands dirty. Who knows how much they took advantage of those poor ship girls." He didn't even know himself why he cared about those girls who'd shoot him on sight. They don't know how much they suffered themselves, lost memory, cruelty of being a war weapon and all those freedom that was ripped off from them.

Poor girls, they don't even know their past.

But back to the topic...

"But that doesn't explain your look, Isamu."

Hisoka knows this question will come, and he prepared an answer for it already.

"I can't die just yet. I still have my daughter to look after. She'll be here at my funeral, I don't know if you'll participate in that damn fake ceremony or not, but by any chance you meet her. Don't tell her anything, okay? If you do just that, all your debt is good as gone."

––and he also knows how to buy this guy over.

"Are you serious? It was like, three thousands or something? If it's just that and we're even then I'm totally in. But you said you need a set of cloth, didn't you? That's for real?" After they're done with their business, the shop owner decided to do the actual business for livings. Hisoka just smiled and nodded, adding it to the price of three thousand yens.

"Black would be nice, I'd love to wear it know. Any place I can change?" He waits a bit before Hidemasu comes back with the cloth he wanted and the answer.

"There's a fitting room in the back, but you might want to avoid Suzuya-chan. She's just a part-timer I hired because my kouhai begged me to, so I really can't do anything if she spreads any rumor. Girls and their stuffs, you know." Hisoka received the cloth and look at it, a simple and plain set of outfit. There's even a long outer coat to conceal his peg leg, this remind him of how observant this person can be. He pondered to himself about risking and pushed his luck for a bit, but then just sighs.

"I'll get changed later then. Don't tell anyone I was here, okay? I'm dead after all. Unless they want you to tell some ghost story about me, then just make it a lot spookier." Chuckling, Hisoka left the store behind and continued on his way back to his place. There won't be anything to do until his funeral the day after tomorrow. That's also when he'll go to one of the IJN hidden lab and steals everything he can.

This is a fine day and Hisoka doesn't want to ruin it by going back early to deals with an over-energetic Airfield Princess and expressionless Wo-Class. Enjoying the scenery in the town once in a while is not hurt either.

"Hmm? What's this?"

Hisoka stopped dead in track mesmerizing by this scent which kind of like, lured him in. Dirty golden eyes dart around the street trying to find the origin of this particularly delicious smell. A food he have never tasted for a long times.

"Takoyaki?"

Tapping his wallet in the pocket ensuring it's there before he got himself a ticket to jail, Hisoka walk across the street to a lone takoyaki's stand. It wasn't long before he stuffed his mouth full of steaming hot, crispy takoyakis at the bench which wasn't far from the stand. Leisurely wasting his time alone is always his thing to do on a day offs. He doesn't have anyone who he could call close friends except of those comrades in arms. So it was just like this, bathing in a now hot sunlight, eating his favorites, being like normal person for one last time.

Peaceful time like this makes his head clear. It was the only way he could get all of burden off his back for just a short moment, but he's satisfied. Unfortunately for him, at this moment, he sits inside of enemy territory in nothing but a simple cloak for disguise. He can't take his times to enjoy things he once found enjoying.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you say you'd go look at the subs and head straight back?" Looking up from one of the takoyaki left, Hisoka shut his mouth tight at the sight of the girl in white.

Smiling mockingly at the ball in her hands, he questions back.

"And didn't I say to stay inside the house? If you left Wo-Class with that much resources worth for weeks, it might just disappeared, you know?" He still wonders how she hid her horns and got rid of such insane looks on her face. Airfield Princess silently sighs and sits down on the bench beside him. Following her act, his eyes never left the Princess a single moment.

"What're you staring at?"

"You, of course. Why did you blend in so well with your role?"

"Well, thank you very much! But I'm a foreigner myself so this is just easy. I heard from Wo-Class you knew about the origin of ship girls, but I think you also know about us. Am I right? Mr. Know-it-all?" He just smiled sheepishly at his nickname and nods. He was once researched about the origin of this war he wants to stop, and he dug through deep enough that it buried him alive.

"I know about the origin of this war, you girls' first attempt of revenge and all other things related. I won't continue if you didn't want to hear, but if you..."

"Tell me."

Simple words, but with those eyes of hers, he got no way to retreat.

"You know that this war was not the first, right? That war was called World War 2, a war wages between countries, many conflicts, many argument, it all leads to victims and lost. The ship girls are created from the long lost magic. You might find it absolutely silly, but it's true. The purpose was to win the war, simple, but the consequences need prices to be paid. I'll omit what's not important. The research was a failure and the war ended, but someone insisted to continue in case of another war." Hisoka noticed the Princess's eyes glaring at the takoyaki and smiles at her. After feed it to her, he continues.

"Now, after the war, they have what they need to finished the research, the soul of lost vessels under the sea. They didn't harvest any parts, but instead, using their soul in completing the research while having them rested undersea. This is when lots of teenage girl were gathered to find the ones with compatibility to the vessel's soul. Creating the first ship girl, if I remembered correctly, the first was Shimakaze."

"That's nothing related to us, hurry up, will you?"

Hurry him up, she starts clinging to him to create pressure.

"Yeah, yeah, alright. Not talking about them ship girls, but you girls were also born from the same source." With a difference of words, he used 'born' instead of 'create', which strikes the Princess's interest strongly.

"So we're not manmade?"

"Exactly, while ship girls take appearance of the compatible girl as blueprint and can be mass produced whenever the Navy wants. Abyssal Fleet doesn't have that one of a kind vessel. I-Class, Wa-Class, Nu-Class, or even Wo-Class are mixture of hatred and grieves of the sunken ones whose soul has been interrupted in their rest."

He concluded it and looks at the Princess.

"The normal Abyssal Vessels were just lump of emotions by origins and some was the corrupted ship girls, but you Princesses and Demons are the strongest pile of feelings. The feelings which gave birth to you girls were strongest of all, Airfield Princess. But some of you are not originated from war vessels." Thinking back about her weapon, hers seems to be different from other Princesses and Demons, hence her name was 'Airfield Princess', there's no way she's a ship.

"Henderson Field, that's you."

"Henderson..., that name, I like it."

This makes him chuckle.

"Of course, you'd like it! It's your name, why the hell would you hate it?" She just shrugged him off with giggles and pulls him up from the bench. Seem like his time to leisure has end unwillingly. Satisfying or not, the Princess's here on her walk after playing with local kid and came to pick him up. He's supposed to be glad, but seeing her being normal like this stole everything out of his mouth.

If everyone from the Abyssal can smile like this, it'd be really great.

But if that's going to happen, he needs to make sure anyone can't do any harm to them. He has to end this pointless war, but how? If the Abyssal is to win, then what'd happen to humanity? And even if the Pacific's Fleet wins, the whole world will not stand still waiting for a possible threat. There're Abyssal everywhere, mankind has make a mistake and caged themselves from the sea.

If one Abyssal Fleet wins, it'll encourage the others and will just makes things go out of control. He has to find a way to truce between both of them, armistice won't work for long and conflict won't end in just one meeting.

He can make the Abyssal win the war and end this tragedy in a way mankind won't suffer. But to do that, he needs to make every Abyssal's listen to him.

He needs to rise up in rank.

"What's wrong? If we're not hurry Wo-Class gonna eat all of your bauxite!"

"Yes, yes, let's hurry back then."

But first, he has to prepare to raise his fleet firepower before anything.


	6. Chapter 6

Oh yes! I got Taihou! I only need Whale-san and my Carrier fleet is complete! But Whale-san need blueprint, this is hard. I'll have to face all those damn bosses again after using all of the medals for Tone and Chikuma. Ugh, the boss itself is easy but to reach them is hell. But first thing first, I need to find Whale-san. Just when I was recovering from grinding another Ryuujou for Christmas Kai CG. Happy New Year, everyone!

A/N : I do not own Kantai Collection, it's Kadokawa's. But if I do, I'll give Kai Ni to Naganami-chan!

* * *

><p>Chapter 6 – The Dead<p>

"Is that her? Your daughter, I mean." After coming home and having a lot of conversation with him, Hisoka found Airfield Princess, who now prefers to be called Henderson-chan, is really love to ask something every ten seconds count. She really is too much of a hyper he needs to start regulating her sugar intake, if it helps. She didn't even drink coffee or tea, so caffeine's not the problem.

Maybe it's just her personality?

Nah, when she's sleepy, she can be really obedient.

"Yes, that's her. And where did you find that binocular? Put it where you found it!" Seriously, this girl, is there something wrong inside her head? Missing parts, or something? She really found every way she can to irritate him as much as possible in the span of just a week. And today which is the day of operation, she can still do it just fine.

"Mu, you always yell at me for everything I did. Look, Wo-Class also has it too! Why doesn't she get any yelling from you?" Following the Princess's finger to Wo-Class who seems to enjoy his funeral so much, Hisoka let out a groan and slaps his forehead in agony.

"Wo-Class? Would you please?"

"Another 10 minutes, wo."

After calming himself down in a split of a second, Hisoka sighed and then looks around from the bushes they're hiding. As usual, the guards are scattered around loosely, they didn't expect any spy or some kind of intruder at all.

"The pride they have will kill them someday. Wo-Class, drops that binocular and do your job already. We don't have all day for this." It's true that he can just goes in alone undetected, but if he goes in alone then there's no guarantee that he can get what he wants. He needs to bring these two together in case of security, things tended to get messy when he less expected it, that's first-hand experience.

"Yeees." That nonchalant reply of hers didn't let him down like he thought. The little drones, which resembles an Aircraft Nu-Class always uses, fly out of a backpack Wo-Class carried and to their work. He wouldn't think it'd be a Kamikaze attack that'll knock the guards out of the way but this works too. The Abyssal Admiral turned back and lifted up his thumb, praising his secretary in silent and moves out ahead with the other two following.

Hisoka remembers the inside of every building he came across in the past, and this one was built with the same structure like any other labs he had been. Standing still and reliving his memory for a second, the admiral look around and smiles in the dark.

"That way."

"Wo... How did you know?"

"Instinct." He lied with a straight face, finding it annoying and hard to answer this question so he let it dropped away and continues on. This kind of building has only one lab on the first floor, second and third are for living quarters of those mad scientists. But before he can advanced further, Airfield Princess grabs his hand and pull him back from going around the corner.

"There're guards inside too, your eyes still have yet to works perfectly in the dark. Tell us the way and well lead you on." When he looked back, the picture he sees burn itself onto his eyelids. Their eyes are glowing in the dark, if it's around the day and not in this situation he'd say it's pretty. But right now, only this word is appropriate.

Scary...

"Turn right at that corner and straight down the corridor, that's our destination. But even if you didn't pull me back and almost gave me a heart attack, I also have my way to deal with guards, just so you know it." The Princess sighed and nudges another girl who let out another set of drones unwillingly. They seem to be like her child or something. A consecutive loud thud echoed around the corridor, after confirming that the guards are knocked out, they approach the lab.

"You sure there'll be no one inside?"

"I checked their schedule beforehand, the reason I choose tonight isn't that it's my funeral, it's their day off." Hisoka shrugged a bit at the locked door and pull out a paper clip from his pocket for a dirty job. After several attempts of lock picking which he has never done in ages, the door to the lab opens for them.

"...!?"

What they see is like a nightmare, but that's only limited to the girls. Wo-Class, he understands, but why'd the Princess shocked by this? Isn't she a strong Abyssal vessel who could shred ship girls to piece like she once boasted? And then it's dawn on him that she's never face them head on alone, or even sink one of them herself. Hisoka looked at both of the girl and sighs. He can't do anything for them at all. This moment, what strike his attention the most is the girl in the large glass tube at the corner of the lab.

"If I remember correctly, according to history, the vessels from the army were not so many. She's not Akitsumaru, but there're two other carriers and submarines, huh? Kumanomaru? Nigitsumaru? Or Yu-Class transport submarine?" Even though he's a man, seeing this naked girl didn't even turn him on or something, a washboard like this receives no reaction from him at all. But even though she's this small, smuggling her out unnoticed will still be hard.

"Are we going to take her along? The subs and Wa-Class are ready at the cave, so decides." At the recovered Wo-Class's rushing, Hisoka grimace at the hard decision. He can take just this girl back before the guards wake up, or take all of the research materials instead.

"This is hard. We'll just take the research materials, then. Help me." Hisoka tapped Airfield Princess on her shoulder, asking for the empty backpack she carries for stuffing all the research paper in. In less than hour, almost everything related to the research and perks his interest, vanished from almost every table.

"I didn't think you'd take this many." The grimaced Princess let out a groan while clinging onto Wo-Class, who tried her best to run away from the burden. The admiral just smiles teasingly and pets her head softly.

"I'll reward you with anything you want when we get back to the base, but for now, we need to get away before anyone come here." After finished with everything, they will go back the way they came in earlier. He has to admit, the guards didn't even move, somehow he feels a little bit sorry for them to be knocked out like that with just one hit.

'Well, it's their proud Kamikaze attack after all.'

But just before he followed the other two out of the lab, his eyes caught something interesting at the far corner of the room. Something he neglected the entire searching now looks like it's begging for his attention. Hisoka valued both choice of going back and get it or get out and choose the former.

"You two go on first, I'll meet you at the cave."

Glaring at the speaker, Wo-Class doesn't question his intention like Airfield Princess does. After living under the same roof for a week, she knows that his doing always benefit the Abyssal and he didn't ever lie to her. But it's not like there's no doubt about this matter at all. There're things he can do right now that he need to do it alone and perfect fit with this situation. Either he want to go and meet his daughter or anything else is fine by her. But he still can't protect himself against guns.

"Are you sure you'll be alright? You still haven't fully turned yet so you can't fight against guns, you know? If you got shot, unlike us, you'll die instantly!" Her words are threatening enough but Hisoka just chuckled, he has no intent to be in the way of bullets.

"It's not like I'll be caught so easily, and I have my sword." Hisoka shift his cloak a little bit, letting both girls see the old katana he hung around his waist. With it condition, either Airfield Princess or Wo-Class can smile or even feel relieve.

"You serious? Wo-Class's staff is better than that. No, I'm not gonna let you go alone, if Battleship Princess knows that I left you to your death she'll be really pissed and who knows what'll she do to me!" Hisoka flinched at the delicate hand of this girl grabbing his arm. It struck him harder than anything that he forgot who she is after spending a week together. She's too strong, her hand clenching on his arm's really going to tear it off if she add any more strength than this.

"Princess, don't underestimate me too much. Even though I'm not fully turned yet, I'm still one of Abyssal. And if I didn't get it wrong, I'm not under your command." What he just said widen her eyes, who would know that this person would stand up to her despise being this weak?

"I'm stronger than you, isn't that enough? What will you do if you are outnumbered? I didn't order you or threaten you, what I said was because I don't want anything to happen to you!" Tightening her grip in process, Hisoka let out a painful groan and smiles bitterly.

"I'll be fine, I'm capable of defending myself, if it's not against ship girl or someone like you, I'll be fine." Realizing that she's hurting him, Airfield Princess let go of his arm and turn away sulking. Hisoka sighed in defeat and grabs the girl's shoulder, forcing her to face him eyes to eyes. If her eyes are not red enough as it always is, this is another level of them.

"Trust me a little, will you? I still owed you a reward when we get back to base, so I'm not going to get captured or killed that easily." His word really didn't have much impact on the stronger girl and her eyes are still glaring at him with no sign of defeat. So he has to resort to his hidden technique he often used to calm his daughter down when she had a nightmare.

Hisoka narrowed his eyes slightly, lets Airfield Princess stares at him as she please. His right hand which can still move freely moved up and cups her cold, squishy cheek. He rubs his thumb gently, letting what little heat he has warm her up a little bit more and calm her down. It's not like any times he smiled at her or Wo-Class before. This time, it's not just only his lips, but also his eyes.

"I will be right beside you, just call my name and I'll be there for you. I'm a war veteran and I will not fall until I can fulfill my order. And this time, my order is to go back unscathed with both of you." A moment of silent was the only thing left after his words. Hisoka blinked and cocks his head to the side, confirming with his eyes that this is not because the light from Princess's eyes.

"Eh, why are you blushing?"

"Nah-!? No! I wasn't blushing or anything! It's just a light from my eyes, alright!? Now go and do what you want, before I change my mind and drag you back in pieces!" Hisoka just stood there dumbfound at the Princess who then rushes off the way they came from. Leaving him and Wo-Class alone in the dark corridor littered with unconscious guards.

"I'm leaving her to you." Ordering his subordinate to watches out for the girl who almost crushed his arm singlehandedly is a bit weird, he has to admit that the Princess's strength is nothing to make light of. But this is enemy's land and if they get busted or found out, Wo-Class's airborne drones will come in handy.

"Roger that, wo. But to think that you'd use the trick you always did on your daughter to calm her down, you're really a womanizer, wo." She reminded him how things were in the past, he always does this even in public to calm Hiyori down when she's about to cry over something. And unsurprisingly, this girl saw it from back then.

"Just when did you saw it, hm? Anyway, it couldn't be effective if we're not close, so thanks to those days we spend together. And I can't do it on the girl from our fleet or even on you, so be happy I can't influence you." Wo-Class looked at him with eyes full of concern before open her backpack, let two of the drones fly out to her superior. With just an eye contact, they know what each other thought about and turn away to their respective way.

If Wo-Class really remember everything like she said then she might knows what he's about to do. Each and every lab like this one have a secret room hidden somewhere. They use it to contain the un-use ship girls, ready to be delivered in case their copies are incompetent. Judging by this lab's purpose of research, he thinks that rather than one successfully created ship girl, they might hide the failures somewhere they can manage with ease.

And the reason he'll do this alone? Seeing their reaction from before, it'll be hassle to calm the Princess down if she see the state the failures are in.

Walking back in the lab again for the second time, Hisoka has no hesitation of where the secret room is located. A secret room which is hidden behind a historical drawing inside a lab really is something remarkably odd and easy to finds out.

"Of course they'd make it harder for my by using a safe's door." After removing a drawing from the wall, what lies await for him is annoying puzzle that hindering his time here. Hisoka almost tries to break it open by force in a spur of the moment but refrain himself from do so and getting hurt in process. He knows the pass code from the other labs, and it's the same one every damn time.

"Just how much time does it take to remember sets of pass code, huh?"

The mechanical sounds echoed through the wall before him, and the secret room is open. Revealing many tubes, just like the one in the main lab, containing girls whose face he didn't know of. Are these all Army's vessels? How long did they do this experiment to created this many failures? Even though he said so himself that ship girls can be mass produced, but seeing this many in such a small lab hidden far away from the main base is surprising.

And then which one shall he takes?

His purpose of being here is to steal one of the girls from the Army after all. And he's not going to go back empty-handed either. Research materials aside, he needs the subject of their research to make his time here worthwhile.

Glancing at the drones flying at the side of his head, he sighs at the thought of having them help deciding which tube he should open. Hisoka walk deep into the secret room looking at all the naked girls with ice-cold eyes. A lot of them are either malformed or doesn't even look human-like at all, so if he has to choose then he'll have to make a hard decision here. He want more than one as comparison but he's alone, how regretful.

"I'll just choose the one closest to human being then."

After that, taking his time like shopping for grocery in a market, Hisoka stops in front of the tube he choose while looking at the girl inside. If he has to guess, she's around 5 or 6 years old in appearance, closest to normal person as failure can be. With only just right arm and legs malformed, this girl is the best he could asks for.

"Beggar can't choose. Now, how do I open this thing?"

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you don't want to rest at my place, Hiyori-chan? It's free, you know? Even though those hotels are more luxurious but will you be able to rest at all?" Hearing the persistent uncle of hers trying to get her to stays at his place, Hiyori can only denies the offer with a bitter smile.<p>

"I really can't, Hidemasu-san. I have a meeting at the HQ tomorrow morning, so I've already booked a room from the place closer to HQ. I appreciate your offer, but your place is a little bit far and I don't really want to walk a really long distances in the morning. Besides, I already paid for it." The young admiral receives the consoling words from lots of people this evening and in needs of resting. As her underling, Shigure pondered about interrupting the man, but left it aside because the conversation just ended abruptly with an excuse of being sleepy.

"Let's go back, Shigure. Shimakaze's waiting for us at the hotel. If we don't hurry she'll die of being lonely, you know." At the admiral's word, Shigure's trying to decipher the hidden riddle but got nothing out of it other than that Shimakaze's a rabbit. Was it just another excuse she uses to get away from this place? Was she not going to stay behind until the end? Shigure knows that Hiyori's father only has her as relative, but if this girl's leaving already then she has to obey despite knowing how much her superior hurts inside.

'Were you really not going to look at his face or stay with him until the end?' was never be able to leave the Destroyer's lips. Shigure actually knows from her past how much of losing someone important to you can damage you emotionally. And this girl, the pain she endured this very moment is beyond her imagine, she just knows it.

'I wonder how's Yamashiro doing at Maizuru.'

"Shigure?"

"Y- Yes, what is it, Admiral?"

It seems like she spaced out. Shigure silently apologizes and wait for what Hiyori wants.

"How are you doing here? This is your first time at Yokosuka front, right?" Shigure slightly raising her brows in thought. It's not like she finds this place interesting or something, to be honest, it's noisy. At Rabaul base, it's a lot quieter and more peaceful, nothing like this at all. She was found by First fleet a long times ago in a middle of ocean after all. There's a theory that if ship girls sunk the Abyssal, there's a slim chance that the Abyssal might get purified. She then begins to wonder how was she like when being I-Class or Ha-Class, forgetting to answer.

"Shigure? You don't like it here after all, huh? Maybe somewhere peaceful would be nicer, I'm sorry I can only afford for a cheap hotel in a middle or commercial district, okay?" The Destroyer flinched at her superior words and shakes her head violently trying to cover it up.

"No, no, Admiral, it's fine! Anywhere is fine by me, what's matter is why they didn't provide a place for you in the dorms or hotel reservation? You're high rank, for they to just ignore it like this is..." She knows that this girl won't mind about trivial things like that, but for call her here to mainland and didn't even prepare a place to for them. How irresponsible the Navy can be in a time like this?

"Well, even though I'm a high rank, I'm not Elite. You know about it, right, Shigure? Even though we're front-liners, that doesn't mean we got any privilege or anything better than other. And besides, I'd prefer sleeping in a cheap hotel than that smelly dorm." The young admiral chuckles at the dumbstruck Destroyer who then sighs at defeat.

"If you wished it like that then I can't complain anymore."

The two continue on their way to the booked hotel room where Shimakaze's already waited for them. Just like Hiyori said, it's in commercial district so it's noisy even at night. To think that people's night life doesn't get influenced by the fact that there're still threats looming around their land is a mystery to Shigure. Aren't they terrifying that they're not alone in this whole world anymore? Or do they think that ship girls will do everything for them?

"Night life in the city's still as bright as ever, huh?"

Her word piqued the Destroyer's interest.

"So it's been like this when you're kid, too? I think it'd be hard to rest easy like this. People doing their business and all." Hiyori grinned brightly and clings to Shigure's arm. Being attacked so suddenly, the Destroyer froze in that instant and trying to act as normal as possible to pries her superior's hands off her left arm.

"Yeah, it's been like this even before the attack. Places for eating out are this place's tourist attraction, I'd say. I wonder if the Abyssal didn't strike us back then, will it be this lively?" She started and slightly takes a glance at her company. "You know, because of the Abyssal's first strike, we lost contact from almost every allied country, we can still use airplane to travel, but the Fleets at the other countries have, like, a missiles? It's hard communicating, back then. But years passed, many weird inventions popped up everywhere. There's even this very slim television! I think it's supposed to be around 30 or 40 years in future for those things, right?"

"People's needs create inventions, isn't it?"

Now Hiyori voices out an opinion of her own.

"If I must say, it was escalated, would be better term. We need to do what we must to survive, and the dangers out there make people paranoid and nagging us Navy all the times, the Army also has problem with public too. These facilities help a lot and get a load of work off us. And because of that, people nowadays already forget that there're Abyssal out there." This is the things that bugged her for almost a day now, Shigure once looked around when she has free time during noon and she was surprised at what she found. Ship girls who are supposed to be military personnel are working at cloth store! Some even went shopping on day off like today!

"They take things too easy, I'd say. What if some of the Abyssal manages to make it inland?" The young admiral chuckled at her underling's opinion. It's true that there's no report about the land invasion of Abyssal, but due to their nature, the Navy has this theory about that the Abyssal can't leave water. But because of the lack of information and discovery about the Abyssal or land invasion, neither from here or the allies, they can't conclude anything on this topic.

"Well, I wonder if they managed, how will the Navy reacts?"

Hiyori turned to her subordinate and raises her brows.

"Shigure?"

"..."

The second of Shiratsuyu looked distracted and her superior was too curious to even ask, after follows her line of sight straight to where she was looking at, Hiyori paled. Even though it's just a glimpse of it, she saw a strain of yellow light in an alley. It's not a simple light because it was a person, a suspicious person clad in black holding someone over the shoulder while running at full speed in tight alleyway.

"That direction... the shore? Shigure, follow that person! I'll get Shimakaze, hurry!"

There's no source of light which gives off a trail like that, nevertheless it's a person. She didn't see just a light trailed off the eyes, but also pale skin from the arms holding that unconscious person. The only person, no, living organisms which have those traits was only the Abyssal.

Shigure followed the order given without time to respond, it's not on sea surface so she has to run on her own. If it was Shimakaze who accompanied admiral Hiyori today that suspicious person would be good as captured right about now. She's not a speed freak and can't run really fast. But this pursuit might decide the safety of people in Yokosuka front, she can't back down or even stop for a breather.

It took a while before she was able to catch up to this cloaked figure and Shigure realizes that this person had slowed down for some reason. Fatigued or else she wouldn't know, but this is Abyssal no doubt, she's in a sure hit range and she has a gun with her right now. But the risk is still high, she wasn't sure if this person will really be the Abyssal or not, and if she shoots, the bullet might hit the carried person which she doesn't know if it was hostage or enemy.

But if she hesitates any longer they'll reach a thicker woods and she'll lost this person for sure. There's no choice, her comrade once said that she's lucky. And right now she wants to risk it if Lady Luck is on her side or not.

Reaching for the gun on her waist, Shigure points the muzzle at the cloaked figure and fired.

"Wha-!?"

Her bullet hits, not target she just aimed but the chipped katana, deflecting it in process. Now she has no doubt at all, only Abyssal can do that and someone of that level are Demons and Princesses. She fired another shot and the result is the same, the bullet was deflected. But this time, she finally manages to stop this person while he, or she was about to run again.

"Freeze! Let down that person and put your hands above your head!" A pointless threat can only make this person looked straight at her. Their eyes met and both were speechless, Shigure was surprised at this person's face. And Hisoka...

He was surprised that the person who chased after him was a ship girl.

"You're admiral's..."

Shigure's eyes flickered and Hisoka saw that as a chance of escape. She's confused and surprised, her eyes gives it off that the hesitation just comes back. This was enough to deliver the message he didn't even want to if he has a choice, this girl's always with Hiyori and she must know his face, her reaction proved it before. Now it depends on her that she'll tell Hiyori or not.

He doesn't want to let Hiyori know about him being Abyssal, just know that she's still fine is enough for him already. But if this girl tells Hiyori, things will get messy for sure.

He has to deal with this girl.

"You're not dead? But the funeral has already... So Admiral's thought is true about the fake dead, huh?" Her words are true, that means Hiyori saw this coming? Hisoka let the captive down with a loud thud, not even worried she might get hurt or even worse than that. He gripped his katana firmly and points at Shigure.

"If you don't want her to get hurt over this, you know what to do." Silently lowered his only weapon and sheaths it with a swift movement of the hand, Hisoka turned back against his enemy testing her loyalty to her superior. He knows the nature of ship girls; there are some who'll only listen to their admiral, and some who sticks with the Navy's teaching. Airfield Princess's not the only one spying at Hiyori and this girl, she seems to respect his daughter much enough to knows what to do in this situation.

"Why didn't you meet her? You're Admiral Hiyori's father and yet you don't feel anything seeing your daughter grieves over your fake death!?" Her words are intense and she's angry at him for no reason, unless this girl loves his daughter, there's no way she'll be like this. A good superiors must be loved by their underlings, his daughter really make him proud. But for him neglecting his own position right now and thought about his daughter is a mistake.

In this kind of situation, this girl might just cries in despair, torn between duty and her feeling.

But there are no tears, there's no point for tears in this situation, and this girl didn't even know him personally, for god's sake. This girl's strong and keen. She can't let him go but she also can't kill him, now she's going for third option which is waiting for her backups to come and capture him.

Looking at the muzzle pointing at him, she's serious.

He needs to get away, the only way is to be a little bit dramatic and...

"I can't meet her right now, not like this, please."

...begging with teary eyes.

In fact, he once has an intention on meeting with Hiyori despite being an Abyssal. But Airfield Princess's words were like an ice-cold water bucket dumped on his head, meeting her will only brings him inconvenience in his quest to end this war. That's why right now he lies to this girl in attempt to tricks her, creating an escape route.

This kind of mind game is the only thing he's good with other than with sword, and if he fails, he's good as dead for second time.

"D- Don't move! Stop right there, you can't run away from her forever, Hisoka-san." Now she's threatening her superior's father and he finds it humorous, almost chuckled at her now shaky voice which lacks the resolve from before.

His self directed drama was effective.

This situation is already in his favor, this girl knows who he is and can't shoot anymore. Now, she has no way to stop him from leaving. Hisoka pulled down his hood lower and turns back to pick up the girl he kidnapped while not paying attention to what Shigure was shouting at him.

"Please! Seeing her just once is fine, she misses you!"

Certain word in the sentence made Hisoka halted in place and didn't even move away. He knows his daughter misses him, and he too feels the same. But with him being like this, he can't meet her no matter what or how. There's no way he can meet her like this, despite how cold hearted he is, Hiyori's still his daughter. Related or not, the time they spent together was not a lie.

"I can't. Let me ask you back then, if your sister sunk, and come back to you as I-Class or Ha-Class, what'd you do? End her suffering? Welcome her with open arms? You don't even know how she would feel having you see her like that."

He continued walking away leaving his words resounding in Shigure's head. She always thinks about how she was before she was saved by Admiral Hiyori and Sendai-Class. But she never thought about it even once, about what the man before her spoke earlier. And looking back at how many Abyssal she sunk in the past, how many of them were her comrade?

Answer, all of them.

Shigure's line of sight is now blurred with tears, thinking of how many of her friends she sunk without knowing, her legs give out. Slumping down is not the only thing that stop her from chasing after him, it's his word that chained her down to the ground. She only thinks about her admiral and never thinks of his feelings at all.

It's not long after Hisoka left that Shigure felt the gloved hand on her shoulder.

"What happened? Where's the guy? I heard a gunfire, are you alright?" Looking up to Shimakaze's face, Shigure suppressed her tears and stands up straight like nothing happened. Trying to fake everything up for both her sake and his, would be the only way out from this complicate situation for her.

Like the guy said, she can't let Hiyori knows about this.

"It's nothing, he's already got away. I'm sure you won't believe he deflected bullets with crappy katana like that."


	7. Chapter 7

Hello! You watch the anime? Well, it's kind of disappointing when it comes to combat scene, eh? And I don't think someone who has no knowledge of Kancolle at all would be able to follow up with the story. Well, let's wait for another sortie then, 2-4-11 is a little bit annoying when she can moves around, hah.

Forgive me for the awkward grammar and typo, please. English's not my forte, especially Grammar. And my language doesn't have an in-depth grammar so it's kinda frustrating.

A/N : I do not own Kantai Collection, it's Kadokawa's.

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><p>Chapter 7 – Wide Awake<p>

"Say, you were staring at me for half an hour already. Can't you just tell me what you want? I know I owed you a reward I said back then, but if you don't tell me what you want then I don't know." The one and only Abyssal Admiral of Pacific's Fleet looked up from his stolen research paper to the pale girl who was staring at him more than just half an hour like he said. Airfield Princess now in her own usual attire sitting in front of him behind his desk, chewing in cookie the subs raided from the Navy's transport ships.

Isn't she somehow taking it a little bit too easy?

Two days after they got back from the mainland with the captive failure from Army's attempt to create ship girls and their research materials, this Princess just waltz in and out of his living quarter, which is this office, and doing nothing but staring at him and downing his sweets. He finds it bugging that when she looked back, answering her with eyes contact, she just get up and run away with a plate full of sweets, leaving him none.

So right now, he's trying to strike up a conversation while doing his best not to make an eyes contact. It might works, knowing that this girl can be bought with foods, he also prepared her favorite pickled daikon beforehand.

"Well, even if you said you'd give me a reward, I still don't know what I want. Why don't we just postpone it for now? I'll let you know when I can think of some." And with that, she reaches for a bowl of her favorite and run away with it. It's not just a speculation just now, while trying to avoid conversation and eyes contact, this girl also doesn't know where to be and stick with him all the time.

Can't she just like, goes back to her base?

"Princess, if you have trouble sleeping, please tell me, okay?" Pale hand reaching for doorknob pause at his word, and the owner of said hand just look back at the man in a slightly confuse face.

"What do you mean?"

"You look like panda, I mean, more than usual." Just like his word, this girl before him looks far worse than ever. Even though there're always a dark circles around her eyes, but now it's darker than it usually are. Not just that, the bag under her eyes also serve as an undeniable foolproof.

The Princess stopped all her movement and raises her hand to her face. She knows it was hard to sleep lately, no, she can't sleep at all. Now that she once saw such a sorry sight of her enemy, she can't stop it from appearing in her dream. It leads to a nightmare, a dream of someone, in someplace right in amidst chaos.

"I, I don't know what you mean? What is Panda, by the way?" Hisoka paid no heed to her words and lay back to his chair's backrest. Of course seeing something like an artificial living being in a large glass tube would be terrifying. But to this girl, he dare says that she's innocent. Crazily innocent. To know that her enemy was even in sorrier state than she imagined, there might be some kind of conflict going on in her mind right about now.

And from his experience, dream is a place where that kind of feeling manifest themselves into threat.

A nightmare.

"Was it a nightmare?"

There's no reason to be circuitous. As someone of high ranking, he can't leave this matter unattended even though he's not her superior. No, the rank and file does not matter with this. He just simply cares for his… ally, just that.

"What are you talking about, a nightmare? What was that? Aren't we Abyssal a nightmare ourselves? I'm not going to cower because of such a dream, you better remember that. I'm not weak."

"So you really had a nightmare."

"Ugh…"

For him to driven her to this state, he really felt a little tiny bit of sorry but still did it. Even for oneself as strong as her, health is still a problem if left like so. From the experience of being a lone father in the past, he comes to realize that no matter how strong a person is, that person is still a person. Not a monster or god. No, not even monsters or gods can win against illness. He who had seen his daughter bedridden once because of his own ignorance will not repeat the same mistake.

Thus, that's why Hisoka hurriedly urges the Princess to sit down on a couch at the corner of the room, and then for a moment there he stood still. Abyssals are not human. And there's no medicine and the like in loots the subs delivered to him in exchange of normal food he'd make for them.

But even with that, he can't leave her to rest just like this.

It seems like is Fatherly-side just awoken after a long while.

No, even with that kind of mindset, she's not a kid.

Now this is difficult. And her stubborn side is really hard to deal with. Something like what he once did when they were in the lab may not work again for a second time.

Oh? There's still a way to let this girl sleep soundly!

Disregarding all of his work which piled up like a mountain, Hisoka sat down beside Airfield Princess and pats his legs.

"Hnn?"

"A lap pillow, I'll grant you a sweet dream with this lap pillow of mine. Be grateful, only my daughter got this kind of privilege, you know?" Puffing his chest and speaking so proudly. Looks at him, the Princess has no chance to suppress her laughter and let out a 'pu' sound cutely.

"What was that? I'm not a kid."

Surely a kid can't be this big, in many different senses.

"I told you that I'd be right by your side, right? Just call my name out loud and I'll be right beside you." Hisoka didn't smile like back then but just lifts up one corner of his mouth with eyes narrowed, makes him look a bit cheeky but that's fine on its own.

"What are you, then? Just to call your name and you said you'll appear suddenly right next to me. Creepy. Are you a pervert who followed woman around unnoticed?"

To him, this girl seems to be a little more cheerful now.

"Well, I'll leave it to your imagination then. And… do you want to lie down or not? Hm?" With that question as a little push, Airfield Princess pouts for a second and plops down to his lap willingly. But what out of his expectation is where she's facing.

You little… Why did you face inward!?

Hisoka firmly reorganizes his thought as quick as he can.

"And now what?"

Nudging her horn on his thigh, the Princess lets out a small purr. But no matter how hard she tries, he'll admit to no defeat. Even with that soft smile on her face, even with those inviting upturned eyes, he'll not gave in to such desire to dotes on this sneaky princess!

"J- just close your eyes and try to get some sleep. I'll be here so if you have any bad dream again, don't worry." His voice is shaking for a bit there… And that didn't manage to escape from Airfield Princess's ears successfully. But to think that he'll go to this length just to comfort her, it makes her a little bit happy.

"Nfufu…"

"Uwah, that's one creepy laugh."

This time there's no sharp pain originating from his thigh so she might not be really angry, or didn't even hear him. Her smile right now only makes him uncomfortable. That's not because it's hers, it's just…

Her smile resembles Hiyori's.

"Does this good enough to be your reward?"

But there is no answer coming back from her. Her breathing's still uneven so it can't be that she's already slept. Right at this moment, the silence which he never felt so life-threatening before sends a chill run down his spine, broke him into cold sweat.

"Hey Admiral, you were already in the Navy back then, right? When we began our first strike, long time ago." Despite the intention of the sentence is to question, he didn't feel it'd be right to answer and lets her continue on. "You survived the first strike and ready to fight back the unknown threat, amidst of bullets and gunfire. I don't know if it was the same with mine or not, but…"

"…"

"It was scary."

Not knowing what to do with her now trembling voice, Hisoka pulled of his glove and puts his bare hand on the girl's head. The sensation of the silk-like soothing wave of hair was not uncomfortable for him, and also his touch was the same for her. Airfield Princess slightly narrowed her eyes and moves closer to run away from any light in this room, burrowing her face in his abdomen.

This is awkward. Can't move…

"Standing in the middle of concrete forest, looks up at the fiery rain of the death. Killing not one by one but… It was like a massacred. The death was not much comparing to the whole result. I didn't feel anything, no physical pain, nothing. What left within me was only the memory of that night, of that fiery rain hail down shredding me apart."

He remembered that part of history. A fleet of 2 battleships, 1 light cruiser and 9 destroyers, led by Vice-Admiral Kurita Takeo, the purpose was the bombardment of Henderson Field.

"Don't worry about the past, because I'm here and I'm not going to let any of you sink anymore. I don't know if it's okay to use or not, but there's this phrase, 'As long as you're in my fleet, you're not allowed to sink. Live on.'"

"That's… not something you'd tell a lump of metal, would you?"

She's sharp, it's not from the past war.

"It's embarrassing to say this but, it was my daughter's."

Their eyes met.

"Tell me more about her then."

Seeing no reason to refuse, Hisoka continues to pat her more.

"She's a good girl, how do I say this, back then she was like a really good girl who might just go along with a stranger if she got a candy. Really naïve, but smart, her judgment is also good results in why I always lose to her in shogi. Well, that was about before she became engross with the Navy's uniform."

"Uniform?"

Hisoka gives a nod to the disbelief princess.

"She starts her career as Lieutenant Commander, recognized by the higher-ups, becoming Captain at the age of 13. To tell you the truth, I raise her as my own daughter but I can only stare in shock how fast she rises up in rank by herself. Now it's not because of uniform, it because things need to be done and only she can do it."

None other than the word 'Genius' can describe her.

Not even 'Isamu Hisoka's daughter.'

"That's also when I distanced myself from her. I fear her, you know? It was like, what am I going to do if I drag her down, I'm just a hindrance in her way, it would be better for me to stop being a chain holding her back to ground. Let her rise and soar through the sky as she pleases." A bitter laughter escapes Hisoka's dry lips. His voice also became hoarse after continuously described his daughter as nothing but a little angel who is his pride and joy even now that they've become enemy.

It's not long before a single tear drops.

"I want to see her, but there's no way she won't cut me down next time we meet face to face." He doesn't know if that girl, Shigure, will tell Hiyori or not. But as her father, he knows too well about Hiyori's sense of justice.

"But when you were talking about her just now, you smiled all the while it makes me jelly! Naaah! Enough already! Your lap pillow is no good after all!"

J- Jelly? Wha-?

He can only watch as Airfield Princess got up from the couch and lefts abruptly. But at least she's not forgetting to take the daikon with her, it'd be troublesome if she didn't take it with her. And it'll be very awkward if she walk back in for her favorite after that small outburst.

"Really? What's with that girl? One moment she looked so sullen, another moment she seemed to be in a good mood and now she's pouting again." After crossing his arms together in grumpy mood, Hisoka wipes the trace of sadness off his face and dons the glove back.

"Well, that already good in its own sense. She's Airfield Princess after all. Unpredictable like this is her usual self, great work, me." Praising himself like that is not an act of a proper soldier, no less adult, would do. Looking down at the hand which has been touching woman's hair until just now, he begins to remember something from a distance past.

It's not about Hiyori, but…

"Admiral, the expedition fleet's back. What are you doing neglecting your work, wo?" She heard his gasp, no doubt. Hisoka answered her gaze with his own and lets the whole room brimmed with awkward silence.

"Umm, you know…"

"Earlier I saw Airfield Princess running away from here like she's scared for her life. What did you do to her, wo? If it's something indecent then I'm not going to forgive you, wo?"

She's asking in monotone like it's nothing while readying her staff like she's going to smash it on his head. Hisoka felt so threatened to this level for the first time in his life. His secretary is so very scary.

"Ah, how to say this, I just… By the way, what's 'jelly'?"

…ignored, huh?

To him, Wo-Class right now looks sinister. What happened to the no-matter-what-I-don't-care attitude of hers!?

"…"

"…fu"

"Oi! Why are you laughing!?"

At first it was a small and faint snicker which turned into a suppressed laughter. He doesn't find it bugging at all if her facial expression changes a little, but no, somehow, she just laughs straight-faced. Hisoka sighed inwardly trying to not mind it and gets up to continue on his paperwork.

In the middle of a weird laugh, Hisoka can't help but glances at his secretary from time to time. Seeing her trying to stop but can't kind of make him satisfied in some way. It was like a revenge…

Yeah, a sweet revenge.

Until she starts to choke, that is.

After a series of mishap which results in a blood trickling down from Hisoka's nose, Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier's rampage(aka. Choking) has been subsided. Her head, her only monstrous part, and his nose seem to like each other enough that they need to be close to each other no matter what…

And it hurts, those damn teeth.

"Wo, your nose's bleeding."

"I know that, and thanks for noticing." Such weak sarcasm like this has no way to penetrate inside that thick head of hers and he has no intention to deal with what will follow up if it really did. Hisoka sighs loudly while squint his eyes due to the touch.

But the next moment, he sees something odd.

His blood, it's black.

"Your blood has already turned black, wo…"

Her tone makes him shudders.

"Is it something bad?"

With her eyes fixated on a stain on her gloved finger, Wo-Class didn't answer right away but ponders about something in her mind. Even though Hisoka's good dealing with people, recently he realizes he has no hope against this girl. She shows nothing on her face except sadness and hate. All of them still like a water surface.

But still water runs deep.

Her hatred accumulated from the moment she remember being alive, two lives passed and now living her third one, the harshest. Airfield Princess before and now it's her. He can deal with the former but this girl in front of him is a bit…

"Are you alright? Ka-"

"This is the sign that you've fully turned into one of us, Admiral. Wo. With the color of your eyes, I can't deny the fact that, in term of rank, you might stand on the equal ground with the princesses and demons, wo." Ignoring everything possible that might come out from his mouth, Wo-Class stated the fact about this situation without a trace of concern. No, there's no need for her to concerns about him or herself.

Even when the inside is always the same, the shell is not.

"What do you mean? Same level as those monsters? No, no, no, even if I can hold my ground with sword, I'm not a warship. You can't count me as a war power and use same perspective to evaluate me, right?" He is sure that in Wo-Class's eyes right at this moment, he's nothing but a living organism without a confident to calls himself neither 'human' nor 'abyssal.'

This panic's eating him from inside out.

He does want a power to order everyone around, but to be a war vessel? That's absolutely a no, a really big, big NO.

"Wo… But you need strength to survive, this much is inevitable. You're Admiral. For the time being, some I-Classes don't even listen to your commands, am I right? You need power." To think that her flat glare can be this nerve-wrecking, he can't handle this girl at all. Right, this is like rubbing a salt onto a fresh wound while pouring seawater on it. Not just I-Class, everyone who obeyed his command was listened to Wo-Class.

Not him.

Even if he knows her past, her secret, or her three sizes. With just how she put up her front, he already loses. The strong will always be above the weak.

To conclude this matter, he's weak.

If it's in front of an enemy, there's no way he can be like this!

"The problem is just they don't acknowledge me as their superior, right? If it's just that then I just need to show off a little and let them know who's stronger. I don't want to stand on the equal with them, Wo-Class."

To strive against such a furious stream like this is futile. Hisoka recomposes his thought again and back off from Wo-Class. He doesn't need to be driven along by the flow, by them. All that matter is strength just as his secretary said. Their system is what he's not comfortable with, he's not going to fight the Navy all by himself, his job was to commands and creates a sure-win strategies. So they can't value him on the same level as those monsters.

He needs to be higher.

"If they want a fight then I'll oblige. I know that none of them accept me as their admiral, not even Airfield Princess or even you." Hisoka simply turned away from Wo-Class and looks out of the window with an intention to test his secretary. Exposing his back against an enemy is not something he'd do.

But this girl…

"I know how strong you are, that's why I call you 'Admiral' unlike everyone else. If you believe that my memories are still intact then you'd already figure it out that I know how you survived the First Strike, despise being the first line of defense."

…she's not an enemy.

"Well, I'm not called 'Haunting Fang' for nothing."

Wo-Class paused at the nickname for a second and nods, confirming everything about him to be correct just like how she once knew. Pair of blue orbs moved along with the movement of the only man in the base, follows that almost-straight curve plastered on his face.

His confidence, he had already gained it back.

She saw it with her own eyes in her 16th winter, when the First Strike began and the existence of the Abyssal became well known. Even though having to fall back with every soldier, with only just a military sword in his hand, he put an end to a huge amount of the Abyssal.

Calm and collect even when facing the Death himself, the Haunting Fang slaughters his prey without batting an eyes. Back then she never believed what she saw with her naked eyes, but it's still so vivid like those images were glued to her eyelids. A man, who finishes the Destroyers with swift movements of the blade, had littered the port full of corpse which dissipated into messy goo.

He saved her once, and it made her applied to be Shipgirl's candidate, to be a little bit stronger, to be closer to him.

She met him again about two years after the First Strike, he remembered about a girl he once saved, and surprised finding out that the said girl turned out to be the pride of Navy, the only mean to fight back the Abyssal.

A living tool for a sole purpose of killing the Abyssal.

'Shipgirl'

She was surprised, and it was like her hope to be close to her savior was deliberately crushed. He was with his daughter, back then she thought that a nice and cool man like him must be engaged already.

And laments her own naïveté.

But she was wrong, knowing the truth before her last sortie as the Aircraft Carrier of the Navy. It was like novel she once read. Too cliché that it's unbelievable. And with grief and regret, for the sake of her first love, she rose back as one of his enemy.

But to think that when years passed by and they would met each other again like this, is it the work of fate?

And his eyes, they turned to glittery gold, the proof of the strong in the whole Abyssal fleet. Her eyes are greenis-blue, rank the lowest, below red and gold. It's depend on the individual, but he's the only one, does not belong to any class, this gold is above red. She's still weak even though she controls this fleet for a long period.

But now, it's time for this fleet to have its proper commander.

"How's she?"

The question from Hisoka crumbles a little place in her head to pieces, knocking some sense back to the absent-minded Wo-Class. As a secretary, she always needs to be conscious all the time, but to think that with a little bit of time she sink back in her own mind, all of the paper works are finished like a miracle.

He's too fast, no, there's no point in all those paperwork from the beginning anyway. The reason he insisted to punish himself with those huge stacks of paper was just to organizes this unruly anchorage base. As she once experienced being a secretary ship in the past, she knows that the paperwork is only just mission lists and reports for Japanese Admiralty. He doesn't even need to do this.

Back to the question.

"Her condition is already stable, there's no sign of emotional pain or physical pain. There's a pulse and she's breathing normally in our standard. She's closer to us than the Surface Fleet, wo."

He cracked a smile and gets up.

"Then let's pay our little guest a visit, shall we?"


	8. Chapter 8

Yes! Pleased to see you again! By the way, how about the anime? I didn't expect anything much from a 12 episodes anime so it didn't hit me hard. Some says that some doujin works are even more logical and better then the official. I can't judged it though, at least I'll wait until it's end. And there'll be the Event in Febuary! Whee! Can't wait for new CV and SS, wonder if it'll be U-boat or I-2 to I-7? Anyway, please enjoy the new chapter!

A/N : Kantai Collection is rightfully Kadokawa's! Japanese's! Not Chinese's!

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><p>Chapter 8 – Princesses<p>

It was almost night time when Hisoka finally finished what he's done to ensure well-being and healthiness of the poor girl, who was handled roughly by him before, resting in a vacant room in the base. After sniffing at the light dinner he prepared and tasted it, the still-not-recognized Admiral of this base lets out a pleasant sigh.

"To think that those girls managed to get a hand on rice without spoiling them in seawater, this is really surprising." He still doubt how those submarines who always loitering around this base despise being under Battleship Princess's command did this. Did he unconsciously add a love potion or something of sort in the food he gave them back then?

No, he didn't add anything suspicious.

Or is it that?

They were acting cautious around the base like patrolling guards as a pretext for food?

Yeah, no doubt about it.

Not everyone can be bought easily with food, and those who's grateful to him for such a fine meals are only the subs, which are not even a part of this fleet under his control. What a shame, he can't let those arrogant destroyers and cruisers get away with treating him like a fleet's lackey.

"Wooo, delicious!"

"Hey, that's not for you."

And then there's this girl, destroying the mood.

Hisoka sighed in irritation and prepared another bowl for porridge he made for his patient, to prevent it vanishing into nothingness. Even though he knew how this girl was in the past, her gluttonous nature right now is something he was amazed by.

"Admiral, she's awake now and seems to be… afraid of me. So if you'd do me a favor and calm her down for me, wo?" Tonight's cook turned to the scary Wo-Class while trying hard not to laugh. If she get that 'hat' off her head there'll be no problem at all. But it looks like she didn't realize it.

"Oh my, how scary."

"Don't tease me, wo."

After receiving a jab from her tentacle to the side, Hisoka finished his preparation and pats on the Carrier's shoulder, letting her knows that today's work is already end. The always-stern and stoic face of Wo-Class didn't change when he carried the tray out of a run-down kitchen and continues onward to delivering the dinner.

"Admiral, what are you going to do about our fleet?"

Hisoka stops at the question.

"Well, every fleet has their own princess or demon but we don't have any, and I don't think you'd turn into one. We're lacking in war power. So I kind of thinking, what if we raise princess or demon of our own?"

"You mean you're going to make that girl a princess?" He doesn't answer what he was asked and instead, walks away from a conversation halfway through.

Before making any progress about fleet power or raising such a powerful monster, he needs to make the whole fleet acknowledge him as the superior. Unlike Wo-Class, none of them know his true nature and only think of him as a human-turn-abyssal, a weakling.

Being a powerful individual is a must to survive in a battlefield. He had run behind the enemy line in the past both as a scout and assassin. Without record of his work from both sides, only little known of his existence as the 'Haunting Fang' and he was just a low ranked soldier in their eyes.

These girls have yet to know about the haunting beauty of the blade when it reflects last light to its prey's eyes.

Last time when he deflected bullets fired by Shigure, it's dawn upon him that a years of paperwork behind the desk had made him a bit rusty. But he might be stronger than ever if he practices swinging again. Now that he has the enormous strength of the full-fledged Abyssal, even his grip power seems to be unbelievable.

Just one strike might be fatal.

Proof? He just broke a ladle when he cooked this porridge with bare hand. Cookware is hard to get a hand on in a middle of ocean like this, he's still reflecting on his mistake right at this very moment.

"Ah, if it isn't ! Just right on time!"

Greenie, the only one who called him like this is…

"What is it? Ri-Class?"

Hisoka looks at the grinning Ri-Class Heavy Cruiser in front of him while stop the irritation inside to surfaces. Whenever he heard this girl called him like that, it somehow felt like she just slapped him in the face, emphasizing that he's just a green newbie.

"Wo-Class said that you've fully turned so I wanna take a look, but you look nothing special… That's a letdown, heh?"

Well, news spread like a wildfire around here, huh?

"Well, I'm glad that I didn't grow a tail or something along that line. The day's already end, what are you doing around here anyway?" Ri-Class shrugged the question away and opens the pot lid, looking at the soupy seafood porridge in his hands.

"Is this for that girl?"

Hisoka nods in response.

"Wo-Class said she's awake not long ago on the way we're going to take a look at her, so I think she might be hungry. And here it is, nothing but seafood, haha." She casually bent down near the opened earthenware pot and gets a whiff of the porridge. A beautiful smile crept on her face and vanishes in the next moment without Hisoka noticing.

"Are you a cook or what? Don't wanna be admiral anymore?" Even if it sounds like mockery, but with a little time to digest it down, he notices that it was praise.

"It's not that I like to cook though. There's still some left in the kitchen. If you want it too then you should hurry or Wo-Class would eat it all, you know?" Hisoka spoke it like a matter of fact, then reaches for pot lid in the girl's hand.

Seeing her without any equipment like this is really odd.

Hmm? She has long hair? Didn't notice at all…

If you don't tell anybody that she's from the Abyssal, all he can see right now is just a young beauty who loves to tease people around. That's the impression when she doesn't open her mouth, but now that she's in front of him, a guy who acts like her boss that came out of nowhere, she turns into an annoying brat.

"Well, well, I better hurry up then. Wo-chan and food can't get along with each other after all. Who knows, she may already finishes all of it already." Ri-Class put the lid back on the porridge's pot herself and walks pass him. And as he's about to goes on to deliver the dinner, a fading snicker can be heard along the hall way.

Now that she brought it up, what will he do about his own dinner?

"Hah, no choice, I'll skip it then."

On the way to the once empty room which is now where the girl rested, Hisoka can't help but pondering about what he'd say first, greeting? Or maybe act like a kidnapper or something?

No, she might not have any memory to begin with.

Alright, let's greet her properly.

*Knock Konck*

He didn't wait for response and opens the door while having nothing particular in mind. What greet him first is a vast room full of furniture ready for live-in, unlike his room that have only ordinary bed, table, and shelves.

"Hello?" Hisoka's soft greeting never manages to get the girl's attention no matter how many times it escapes his mouth. He then gives up on greeting properly once the girl turned to him for some unknown reason.

…it's beautiful.

Her eyes are kind of orange, like between gold and red, twilight in color. But it's moving, it's like there is something inside her eyes, a liquid? It's moving slowly and leisurely, luring a prey to its dead end.

The light, it's frightening.

…but there's no sign of anxiety or fear.

She looks normal for something manmade.

"Here… Where?"

Her voice is soft and clear, but her speech is… weird.

"You're safe here, do you remember anything?" It'll be a while until she answers so Hisoka set the tray down on the bedside table and drags a chair to the girl's side. She seems to be watching him with her lifeless eyes continuously that it's creepy.

"…who?"

Now it's just 'who'? Who then, him or her?

"I'm Hisoka, do you know who you are?"

Trying to find something to continue the conversation is hard when the other party is like a warm veggie staring at him like it's the end of the world. And her eyes are piercing despite being lifeless and hollow. It was like her very gaze can pierces through his soul.

Now that's a little exaggerated.

"I am…"

Her word drags him back to reality.

"Who am I?"

This is troublesome, indeed. It is just like he predicted back when he found her in the hidden storage room at the Army's lab. From the research material he finished skimming through not long ago, the Army didn't use the same method as the Navy. It's a newer technology than what the Navy did back before the first strike. They didn't use any girl in their research, didn't recruit anyone nor abduct someone.

If he has to put it into a word.

According to the paper, this girl is a created life form.

Just like the Abyssal.

"If you don't know then let's just leave it alone for now. Are you hungry? I made some porridge for you so…" Just right when his hand grabbed the pot lid, Hisoka suddenly jump away from the chair and back to the corner. And right by the time he was looking at what happened in a matter of second, his face loses all the color.

"What?"

It's sentient!?

Now what left of the earthenware pot filled with soupy rice porridge right now are just bits and pieces. The content inside were spilt and dirtied the bed sheet and blanket. But what surprised him the most was the cause of all this mess.

The image of this girl when he saw her the first time came back in his mind. Compare to right now, her deformed right arm is a little bit different. It has grown bigger and there're also the heads equipped with ferocious fangs at the end. Is it because of time? Or is it because of place? Her being outside of the tank which filled up with some chemical might be the case…

So that chemical was what halted her mutation, heh?

Appreciating the final moment of rice porridge which is being devoured by this girl's deformed right arm, Hisoka prays in his mind that the pot rests in peace.

Now on to the issue at hand.

Two snake-like tentacles devouring rice porridge on the floor is not something of every ordinary day. Her deformed right arm separate into two sentient tentacles, just like Re-Class's tail that tried to eat him when he met the other princesses and demons. It's smaller and also faster, but there are no little turrets mounted around its head like one he had seen before.

"…thanks."

They ate everything and she said 'thanks'?

So they're all one being like Re-Class? And it seems she's modeled after the submarines, so Submarine Princess? This will be interesting, wondering how the Japanese Admiralty will respond if something like this stalk the fleet undersea and bring the girls down one by one.

Hisoka stood there silently while examining the girl in front of him. He once saw one of the submarines the Navy manage to mass produced, I-168, Imuya or something? And this girl doesn't really strike him as a submarine, but a destroyer. It's just an instinct so he'll leave it alone and unspoken.

So now, what's next?

They had been glaring at each other for longer than a minute already and none of them tried to start up a conversation. Hisoka's not a good talker when it's unrelated to work or lies and this girl hardly speaks anything.

This is getting helpless.

"Well, are you hurt somewhere? I don't know if she look at your body or not, but if you're hurt, please tell me, okay?" Luckily, he had brought a rag with him so it won't be hard to clean up. Hisoka crouched down and start to picks up pieces of the broken pot carefully. After put the broken pieces in the tray and wiped the floor clean, he sits back up on the chair without any word.

"Sorry, breaking, but delicious."

The trace of honesty in her word makes him beamed up with happiness, getting his cooking praised is never getting old. Hiyori always praised him while grinning back then too. It was to flatter him to make more, but this girl's, there was nothing behind it.

"Don't mind it, if you're unhurt then it's alright. But don't do it again, promise?" She nods slowly in response, it's the look he once get from 5 years old Hiyori when she said she understand something but doesn't in reality. He can only laugh it off sheepishly because he can't do anything even if he tries to explain it to her.

"So..?"

"So?"

"Uhmm, no, never mind. So you are not hurt anywhere I can't see, right?" This time she glances at her sentient limb like asking it if she herself is really okay or not, and after a series of nodding and shaking exchanged between the girl and her sentient right arm, she turns to him with a nod.

Bewildered by this little girl, Hisoka blankly nods.

This girl is funny, he simply thought that.

Her state right now is just like a newborn baby who has an advantage that she can understand words and can't talk with limited vocabulary, it'd be better if he can find someone who can teach this girl about common sense and everything she'll need.

Wait, there is someone like that.

"Hey, do you want to walk around for a bit?"

And with a slightly doubting frown, she then again, nods.

"Then let's go to Seaport Princess's place."

It's good that they're still at the undersea base near the Iron Bottom Sound, resting for a long trip from her base. Apparently, the trip from here to her base take about a day and a half at max speed underwater, they're ridiculous fast while travelling unguarded. It's fortunate indeed. If they're already back then the trip would be too harsh for this girl.

"Seaport…?"

"It's her name, can you walk?" The girl's still has a puzzled expression on her face trying to digest the situation. It seems like things escalate too quickly she can't keep up. For now, he'll just thinks of some easy reason even toddler can understand.

"Let's go and make some friends, shall we?"

It was just a little bit in a short moment, but his eyes never lie to him once before in his whole life and he believes what he saw. A straight line on her face curves up a little, bewitched him with the sight of a pure smile even his unrelated daughter didn't has.

And her answer is, of course.

"Nn!"

* * *

><p>"Uhmm, this is…"<p>

"I think Hoppo-chan'd need a friend around her age, so I brought her here. They seem to get along well despite the conversation being one-sided, though." The only male in the Abyssal's history now sits in front of the owner of this room while peeling a mandarin. It was the only reason why he was allowed to come inside her room, to peels her mandarins she can't peels it herself with those claws.

Where did she get this mandarin anyway?

"What do you want?"

Ooh, the words are dripped with everything but trust.

Hisoka smiled sheepishly and bows down a little.

"I'd like to entrust my little girl to you."

"…th- they're both a girls, though!?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I just want you to teach her things like you always do. If I have to say it properly then it'd be like, please teach this girl to be a full-fledged Abyssal." Even when this woman doesn't seem to be the type to take advantage of some favor he asked, Hisoka still has this doubt in his heart that bugs him every now and then. One can't simply trust woman easily. He knows that and still hurt from how naïve he was back when he's still in service.

"So, you want me to teach her? I- I don't know if I can…"

He smiles in disbelief.

"You can, it's like take care of another Hoppo-chan."

Now that he phrased it like that, Seaport Princess has to look at the said girl again with eyes full of worries. The girl she doesn't even know her name is still playing with Reppu while her sister run around with Zero in her hand. Even though Hoppo looks like she's having fun, her playmate doesn't show any expression on her face and only let her deformed right arm wriggled around when the Zero attacked.

"Well, firstly, what's her name?"

"I don't know?"

Her brows knitted together harder.

"What do you mean you don't know? Isn't she your… daughter? Ermm.. or sister?" Hisoka found it hard to answer this question when the answer he prepared doesn't come out as planned.

"She's… I don't know. I simply stole her from the Army, just that. No relation at all. She doesn't have a name so I just can't take the liberty and named her with something weird, my naming sense is quite…"

He leaved it like that and sighs.

"Will you agree?"

"I thought I heard from Airfield Princess that you have daughter? You can just look after this girl on your own, you have experience after all." Her worrying expression doesn't match her words. It was like she wants to look after the girl but wants him to take responsibility.

He has to deny about raising Hiyori, though.

"I have a daughter, but she's adoptive. She's already 8 years old when I took her in. I can't raise a baby, okay?" This time it's Seaport Princess's turn to sighs. Her big claw lifts up to her face as she attempted to hides her irritated expression. But she stopped, and then glares at him from between her claws.

"I'd want you to raise her on your own, she'll be more attach to you that way. Hoppo is already enough for me." With that, he already lose the only hope and hand her the peeled mandarin.

"Then just help me think of her name, then."

Hisoka stared at the surprised princess and smiles.

"What?"

"You… you're giving up already?"

"I don't want to push you any further so isn't it okay? I'll try to take care of her on my own. You said it'd be better if she's attached to me, right?" It's true that he wants this girl as a princess, but if she's on the other's side then it's pointless.

"So you really do plan something nasty."

"It's not nasty."

Hisoka put his arms on the table and lays down using it as a pillow while looking at the kids playing. When Hiyori went out and played, she always came back with a bruises and cuts, so often that he noticed what's wrong and has to teach her self-defense. Her sense of justice is too strong that she can't leave any bullied dogs or cats alone and have to get into a fight with big boys.

But this, it's a refreshing sight.

They're playing like normal kids!

"So, about the name."

He shot his eyes up to the tall woman and silently waits.

"How about you…"

"If I name her, it's going to be something like Pochi or Jirou." Seaport Princess sits there blinking in silence at the example of the ridiculous names she just heard. She thinks about retorting but decides against it because there'll be no end to this conversation.

"Hah, what is she? A dog?"

He chuckled like it's not his problem and continues waiting.

"…then how about, Ageha?"

"So you thought of the swallowtail when you saw her right arm? A beautiful name, I wonder if she'll like it." The small grin vanishes the moment he noticed Seaport Princess's red eyes fixated on him. He somehow feels a little bit tense inside his stomach while thinking of what those huge claws can do to him in this silence.

"But to think that you threes are sisters, it's never crossed my mind. I'm sorry you have to stay here this long because of me." He sits straight up and bows down a little bit to Seaport Princess. The reason behind their stay in this anchorage base was because his trip to Japan. They were supposed to go back together with Airfield Princess but that girl went with him, that's why they have to wait here.

"…and it seems after she came back, she's really attached to you. What did you do? Wait! Are you trying to steal Hoppo from me too!?" Her loud exclamation gains the attention of both kids. And consequently, Northern Ocean Princess and Ageha crawl to Seaport Princess and Hisoka respectively.

"What's wrong, Onee-chan?"

"….what is it?"

Looking at both of the kids, Hisoka and Seaport Princess swallowed everything down their throat and smile at them the same time unintended. He then sighs, enduring the two sentient tentacles trying to nibble out some flesh from his exposed arm.

"There's nothing wrong with us. Hey, by the way, what do you think if your name will be Ageha from now on?" Still letting both snakes expressed their love to him, the girl frowned a bit and looks down in her thought.

"Ageha, from Papa, good name."

So anything he comes up with will be good? She wants to be called Pochi, heh? But some word in that incomplete sentence was so cold like a bucket of water dumped down on his head.

"..Papa?"

This girl just puts him between a rock and a really, really hard place. Did she just seriously call him 'Papa'? At least it's not uncle so he's not that old in her eyes, but to be called father by some helpless girl he planned to use? This really hits him harder than any blow he mentally received in his life.

"..oh? She really called you papa? Look like you can't push her away anymore." Seaport Princess said while putting her sister on her lap. He already gave up on that so there's no point mentioning, but for Ageha to hear that, he doesn't want to be bitten to dead.

"Push.. away? Papa…, Ageha, not want?"

Her eyes he had labeled as frightening now brimmed to the limit with tears. Despite it being so captivating, Hisoka averts his eyes side way in cold sweat. If she looks at him with that kind of look any further he'll have no choice but to gives in to the doting-parent side hidden beneath his usual easy-going self.

"Ugh, how could I? Since Ageha's so adorable like this, there's no way I'd chase you away!" His face feels so hot right now, if Seaport Princess or Northern Ocean Princess begins to tease him about this, he might just dig a hole a hide in it forever. But the compensation of embarrassment is enough for him to forget about it, seeing this expressionless girl smiled all of sudden manages to makes him a little bit happy that he'll act as her guardian from now on.

Parental instinct? A doting parent instinct, maybe?

"Papa, Ageha… loves!"

Receiving Ageha's affectionate hug with her deformed arm coiling around his with almost enough force to break bones is hard. But Hisoka just grits his teeth behind a gentle smile, while ruffling her white fluffy hair, pleasing his new adoptive daughter even more.

'I wonder, what kind of face Hiyori'd make if she knows about her little sister?' With that thought, he sighed mentally and feeds Ageha the peeled mandarins. Without any conflict, if everyday life continues being like this, he might just simply forgot the fact about the war.

This is a war to create a peaceful sea for these girls. His purpose and objective as an Admiral still remains unchanged. He has to gain command over all of the West Pacific's Abyssal Fleet. That's why he'll raise Ageha to be a full-fledged Abyssal, strong enough to fight off even a fleet of Battleships.

He knows this girl has potential. She was created using the newest technology shared among the allied countries anyway. There's no way a new generation would lose.

Because she was created base on the revamped Ross Gunn's stolen nuclear-powered vessel's blueprint after all.


	9. Chapter 9

Here is a short chapter before things get heavy. Yeah, the plot's getting thick without me noticing myself. Wow, it's already 9 chapters!? This is long. I hope you're not already bored with this story? Haha, now let's move on to the story!

A/N : Kantai Collection's rightfully Kadokawa's.

* * *

><p>Chapter 9 A Sign of Raging Storm<p>

"A remodeling plans for us Shiratsuyu-classes?" The second ship of the mentioned class's Destroyer rephrase what she was told again to assure that she didn't misheard anything or still dreaming. Shigure hides her disbelief inside her usual calm smile in front of her caring superior. Even though she's still confusing about this matter but she has already figured out why there's such a plan to begin with.

"Yup, I know you're fine with everything as it is right now, but I'm not sure about Yuudachi though." The young and talented Admiral, Isamu Hiyori stated it as a matter of fact that they both knew deep inside and decided with a silent agreement not to talk about it.

Even though Yuudachi, Shigure's sister ship, was like a mad dog back in the previous war as a lifeless tool for protecting the rising sun, but right now she's different. Unlike a lot of Shipgirls, Yuudachi remembers everything like it was just yesterday. The Battle at Midway or the first naval Battle at Guadalcanal, she has clear memories of them all.

And if that memories surface, she becomes frustrated and anxious she can't even sorties properly nor even do the expedition. The mad dog back then right now is just a worry ridden hopeless girl.

Yuudachi was sunk before Shigure, and she worries about her being alone too much that it's hard to handle. For Yuudachi to wants to protect her sister, this is really praiseworthy. But the fact that she was even willing to be Shigure's shield despite being majorly damaged is too dangerous.

Both Hiyori and Shigure know about it.

And what that triggers the plan is Shigure's failure in capturing the Abyssal suspect they saw inland almost a month ago. It's not that Hiyori was disappointed in the failure but she only worries about the safety of the citizens and her subordinates. That's why this plan to remodeling the Shiratsuyu-classes was proposed to the HQ in the capital directly without going through Yokosuka like always.

Of course, a direct proposal from the genius officer was considered and approved just as fast as the time the letter of approval reached this desert naval base. The reason was not told truthfully, Hiyori used the sunken transport ships around the area as an excuse to get it approved without leaving any personal reason for it.

The supply ships are appealing targets after all, what can be done to prevent it from happening again is to deploy an escort fleet. But the report from the survivor said that the raid fleet from Abyssal was a submarines-only fleet. Thus, the only fleet compositions that can handles this kind of quest are Light Carriers, Light Cruisers, Submarines and Destroyers.

But at this base, Light Carriers are in the main fleet which has to always be ready for sortie at anytime. Light Cruisers are the patrol fleet, and Submarines are responsible for resource gathering expedition. Thus, only Destroyers are the only ones left.

And the highest in level are Shimakaze, Shigure, Akatsuki and Verniy. Those two from Akatsuki-class and Shimakaze are regulars in main fleet and expedition fleet, so the job was left to Shigure. But she can't do it alone, that's the reason Hiyori also proposed for Yuudachi too was not just because of the mission but also for Yuudachi herself, too.

"Admiral, is it really okay for us Destroyers to be remodeled? Why don't we use all these resources to remodel the Battleships instead?" Shigure who is always so sincere and caring starts to divert the subject of remodeling plan to the stronger battle power in her place.

"Shigure, Destroyers are not inferior to Battleships." The look of concern on the Admiral's face gives Shigure a small shock. Her superior never said something like this before, but when she does, Shigure can feels this chill running down her back.

"I'm fine with the remodeling but will Yuudachi be alright? She doesn't have much experience sortieing or in combat. I'm afraid that..." Her reasoning got stopped by a gentle smile that has already placed itself on Hiyori face. It makes Shigure a bit relieved that this person can still smiles, but also makes her being a little worry.

She can't weight it between her sister and her superior. Both of them are equally important to her, and if she has to choose between them, she'd better try the other unmentioned ways instead.

"That's why I want to remodel you both, so that you can help Yuudachi to be familiar with the battle!" Just as thoughtful as she always is, her family matter didn't affect her work self at all… is what Shigure'd love to think so. But hearing from the secretary ship Yukikaze about Hiyori's condition while she was alone and comparing it with her expression at this moment blows away her relieve.

'Your mask is too thick, Admiral. Your smile is not the same one you always shown around the base too. Please, if you're this hurt then I can't even tell you about him anymore…'

About him, about her superior's father who was supposed to be dead, killed by Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier. His funeral was just about three weeks ago, and at that time, Shigure knew something the Navy kept as a secret. A dirty secret, that is.

Hiyori's father, Isamu Hisoka, is still alive and well. But not as a human being any longer. Back when she saw him for the first time, he's different from the picture at the funeral or the one her superior carried around in her pocket. He's as pale as snow, with the cold and lifeless dirty-gold eyes sharp enough to surpass a rusty, chipped katana he used to deflect shots she fired.

Right now he's the Abyssal.

Mankind's enemy, their enemy, Hiyori's enemy.

And seeing Admiral Hiyori being absentminded like this is something unusual, and she is sure as hell that it's related to all the false information the Navy fed to her superior. In one corner of her heart, it's screaming that she tells Hiyori about who she saw back then. But in the other corner of that same heart, she wants to just leave things as they are and not makes it any worse.

"Please look after yourself too when you're done looking after us, okay? The others are also worrying about you too, Admiral." If Shigure has to point out the problem about her almost-flawless Admiral, it would be that she never really put her heart in it when she's off duty doing anything she wants. She doesn't really take care of herself, she can't cook, she's too stubborn, and too selfless.

"Ah, that's right. I know, I know, but you girls come first for me…"

"The priority is in reverse, isn't it? Admiral, I know you think of us not just as your subordinates but like sisters, or even daughters. But please do look after yourself too, if you collapsed, then who'd look after us?" For Hiyori, normal reasoning method can't get something like this through her duty-reinforced thick skull. Shigure somehow wonders if Hisoka knows about this, how will he handle his daughter?

No, thinks about him right now is out of question. This Admiral of hers is unexpectedly sharp and will instantly know if something's off about her subordinates. The worry will shows on her face, she can only shrug it off as being worried about her if the question ever comes up.

"Uguu, fine, you win this round."

Her smile faded into a frown while she slumped down in her arm pillow and lets out a long discomfort sigh out of her system. The truth is just as Shigure thought, she is still bothered by her father's death that it affects everything she does on daily basis.

"By the way, you seem to be troubled by something, is it the lack of power? You felt at lose because you can't catch that Abyssal? Or is it the matter about Yuudachi?" Shigure groans mentally at the questions. She did expect something but to thinks that she'd shoot it repeatedly like this and corners her to the edge of the cliff.

But she's prepared.

"If I have to say it directly, it'd be a little bit…"

"Tell me! If there's something wrong and I can help then I'll help!" With her Admiral baited, Shigure smirks in her mind. Her Admiral's always caring and she feels a little bit guilty using the fact as an excuse against her.

"I'm worried about you, Admiral. After we came back from mainland, you seem like you're not your usual self anymore… It's hard on you. But, Admiral, you can talk to me, to anyone of us too." Hiyori's reaction left a bit of guilty feeling in her heart as expected. But she needs to do this much to avoid telling her the truth that might even hurt her more than this.

"It's just so sudden I can't say anything during the funeral. I'm his only relative left and I can't even cry in front of him, if he knows his daughter didn't even shed a single tear at his funeral, I'm sure he'll be seriously mad." A sad smile makes its way up on her face. Her eyes are all red not because of crying but the lacks of sleep, even if Shigure's not her secretary ship, but she was. She knows too well that when Hiyori's grieved on something, she can't even get a wink of sleep. Lying down and get some rest wasn't help just like back then when one of the Destroyer sunk because of her commands.

It was a miscommunication but Hiyori took all the blames upon herself. Even when the sister-ships of the sunken girl didn't even blame her, she still took responsibility of her commands.

They're happy that they got an Admiral like this. Some of the girls who were transferred here from other naval operation base have it rough. The other Admirals and Commanders are an asshole, is what they said in unison when they were asked the same question. Shigure doesn't know because her first command was from Hiyori and will be only from Hiyori from now on.

But Shipgirls were not treated as human in some other base, just a tool to kill the Abyssal, and some were even ordered to do sacrificial tasks without any reconsideration.

They were lucky that their superior was Hiyori. And that's why every single one of the Shipgirls in this base always look out for their Admiral and were really worried when she came back from the mainland like an empty shell. It's like she forgot her cheerful self at the Yokosuka Front half a month ago.

"If he's your father then I don't think he'll be mad at you, but at himself because he just went left his daughter alone like this. He might cry thinking of how lonely you'll be on your own, Admiral." Hiyori can just ignore her subordinate's word when no one in this base besides her knows him. But Shigure's tone doesn't have any hesitation and brimmed with a silent confident she always has.

"Well, I'm not alone so he might not cry, though?"

Asmall laughter from this depressed girl caught Shigure off her guard suddenly, there's no reason she'd know why the girl who had suffered a huge loss and almost always on the verge of tears would laugh. But considering what she said just before she chuckled, it's alright to think that she will be fine.

"Shigure, today you'll be the flagship of the patrolling fleet, the route is not that far from our base so the enemy might not be challenging. But the purpose is to let Yuudachi get accustomed to combat." A sudden command felt like she's trying to get back to her and it makes her feels a bit guiltier. But their base is out in the frontline, what did she mean about 'the enemy might not be challenging'!?

"So what will be the fleet composition? It's me and Yuudachi all right, but what about the others?" Her concern was not about the route but the fleet composition, if it's like what she has in mind then this sortie will be too troublesome and she'll find a way to get back for her Admiral for sure.

"The composition will be Shigure, Yuudachi, Kitakami, Ooi, Kiso, and Mogami. You'll be flag ship for this operation. I hope you can carry this out, right?" After Shigure heard the fleet composition from her Admiral, she sighs. It was just like what she thought, with those Torpedo Cruisers and Aviation Heavy Cruiser, their destination is set in stone.

"You're telling me to go to Sav Island?"

"Haha, you're really sharp. I'll have you remodeled before sortie, though. It'll be dangerous if not so."

"Don't 'haha' me, Admiral. You know this, right, Admiral? Our strength and experiences are measured into a number which is our level. And Yuudachi is just 48 while I and the others are over 80!" It's her sister life on the line here, that's enough reason for her to get angry. The area around Sav Island is dangerous and it'll take more than a day to finishes a single round of patrol. Yuudachi's not familiar with a long sortie so it'll be even worse with such a place full of danger.

"That's why I'll have Yuudachi sortie with Damage Control Crew, and of course, to prevent the miscommunication I'll also go with you in a Command ship!"

"Admiral! This is too much for a joke! It's not weird for an Admiral to goes with the sortieing fleet when we're doing the 'clearing' and 'mapping', but section 5-3 is too dangerous!" The always calm Shigure's furious, she'll be like this only it's related to the peoples who are important to her…

…Or when there's something bothering her.

"I know what I'm doing, Shigure. I'm not planning this operation as a suicide mission for Yuudachi. I'm willing to bet in this gamble, if we succeed in this operation, not only we get the resource from the Abyssal, Yuudachi will also get accustomed to both day and night battle. The reason I choose Sav Island is because I want Yuudachi to know about the Princesses."

To know about Princesses and Demons, the only way is not to observe but to fight with them head on. The one around the Sav Island would be Southern Ocean War Princess, that's the dangerous one. With this fleet composition, her Admiral's objective is not to sink the Demon but to sink the Transport ship and make them retreat on their own.

This operation has a possibility of success without the Battleship, it is a wise choice. Back when they were doing the 'clearing' for the first time, the two Destroyers who even managed to sink the Demon once was Verniy and Shimakaze, they were just around level 70s.

But now with higher level and more information, the rate of failing is low. Even though Yuudachi's not that experienced, she'll be sortieing with Damage Control Crew and Admiral Hiyori will personally issue the commands on site.

They can win this.

"Hah, you have a point. We have to raise Yuudachi's level to reach the remodeling specification after all. And if you're going to issue the commands directly, then I think we'll be fine." Shigure sighs with a droop shoulder. After this she'll have to tell Yuudachi about this operation too, calm her down after letting her know she'll be able to sortie will be a pain.

"You really have faith in me, huh?"

"You're a genius after all." …and a certain someone also asked her to look after Hiyori, keeps this troublesome genius beside her is the best option there is. If she failed to do so, when she sunk and turned into Abyssal, it'll be the end for her for sure.

…that sword technique was of a monster's level.

'I hope this mission will go on smoothly… A Princess, huh?'

It''ll be the second time she encounter high rank Abyssal if this mission will be carried on without fail and reach the final area of section 5-3. The last time's battle was still haunting her in her dream. Shigure forgot about it because of time, but with her meeting with Hisoka, she starts to remember.

Hiyori heard it with both of her ears and without Shigure herself noticing, a word slipped out from the Destroyer gaping lips.

"…Harusame…"

* * *

><p>"…Check?"<p>

Even though her speeches are still limited because of little vocabulary she knows, but with the intelligent and how quick wit she is, Ageha is now sitting on Hisoka's lap while facing the other person who sit on the opposite side of the Shogi board. She's winning over an adult who is an expert in war just like her name suggested.

It's around the time Shigure's agreed on doing a ridiculous mission, on the other side of the ocean, at the Sav Island's Anchorage base. With Hisoka busy braiding his second daughter's hair into a tiniest braid possible, Ageha is playing Shogi with their host, Southern Ocean War Demon.

"Wo-Class, can you stated our agreement again in case of our Pervert Onee-chan here forgetting?" The cheerful Abyssal Admiral endured the piercing gaze from this 'Pervert Onee-chan' and turns to his secretary. The prominent Carrier raises her brows up a little bit expressing her confusion, but does as she was told.

"If our Princess wins against 'Pervert Onee-chan', she can take part in the next escort mission which will be on tomorrow afternoon." The bothering nickname which Ageha blurted out the first time she saw Southern Ocean War Demon is still used like sarcasm up until now.

"You guys seriously need to stop with that name before I get mad, alright? This girl, seriously, why did she have to…" Hisoka tried his best to ignore the grumbling Pervert Princess and hold his retort back without fail. The reason why Ageha suddenly called the Princess pervert on their first meeting must be because of Ta-Class.

The one he met from the first time he woke up as the Abyssal was from Southern Ocean War Princess's fleet. And when she met him just recently and agreed to escort him to this Anchorage base, guess how many time she called him pervert?

It's more than hundred over a single week. She needs to be more aware of surrounding and kids, at this rate she can't get married for sure. Well, it's not like there are any male who would fall for Abyssal anyway. But the result of that person's nonchalantly insulting, Ageha picked up the word while appear being hostile toward Ta-Class who insulted her beloved Papa.

And yes, she called the Princess pervert on sight because the only thing covering her body at that time was a crotch plate. She's a pervert all right. And now, hurt by little girl's word, she wears a comfortable fluffy bath robe to cover everything.

Ah, by the way, Ageha's eyes turned red three days ago. Wo-Class said that it reverted back to the lower class. According to what he heard before, ranking system depend on individuals. The one and only Princesses and Demons have red eyes which are below gold, but they are stronger than normal Abyssal with gold eyes. Their standard is different. But with a non-combatant like him, that he let them believed so, who has gold eyes, they are wary around him.

They don't know his full strength and his eyes are gold but also think of him as a non-combatant. That's why he was treated like a lower life form even though his eyes color is of the strongest Abyssal.

For normal Abyssal it ranks like; blue, green, red, gold, and with a special case of another Wo-Class he saw in this base, the strongest of the Abyssal has gold eyes with blue flame gushing out from one.

And for the individual like Demons and Princesses; it's all red.

One of the Princesses has purple eyes, though.

But it's a shame that Ageha's eyes are red. She said she wants to have a matching eyes color with her Papa and almost cried.

…but he seriously think it'd be better that she has red eyes. That way, with the fact that there's only one Ageha in the whole Abyssal fleet sighted, she'll be treat like a Princess or Demon right away by Japanese Admiralty.

"…Papa! Ageha wins!"

She used her left hand to move the promoted lance and delivers the checkmate while her deformed right arm, which was named Augustine and Dmitri by Hoppou-chan, is gobbling down snacks and black tea. Why does it's named in English? Go ask Hoppou-chan's takoyak- planes then. They were named Johansson and Zachery.

"Good girl, good girl." The praised Ageha smiles widely while rubbing her head against his petting hand. No matter how many times he did this, the sensation is the best. He almost chuckled at this girl's strange behavior when she's pat.

"Hah, so what now? I'll have to take out Gold Yo-Class out for her place in my fleet? This girl is a submarine, right?" Hisoka didn't respond but prompt Ageha to answer it herself, which this girl did nothing but nodding and clings to him even tighter.

"Well, a little uncooperative but her wit is quite good, what are you good at? Sneak attack? Information gathering? You're Abyssal so how deep or how long can you dive is not a problem-"

"Hide and seek…, Ageha wins!"

The Princess can only widen her eyes in surprise.

"Oh? What does it mean?"

"If I let her explain it, there'd be no end. Easy speaking, she's good at Hide and Seek. While other submarines leave a trail when they attack with torpedoes, she doesn't." Short version of the explanation from Hisoka pique Southern War Princess's interest even more. When attacking with torpedoes, no matter how small it is, there will still be an air trail visible from sea surface no matter what types. Thus, the torpedoes can be avoided if the experienced target saw it coming.

But how…? Attacking without showing oneself is almost like an unreachable perfection. Air pressure torpedoes or even Oxygen torpedoes can't make something like that happens.

"How? If she can do something like that then she'll be really worthy for her self-proclaimed title as a Princess. But not even Yo-Class can do something like that. A special torpedoes?"

"No! A-chan, Di-chan, fire, fire!"

"No, no, no, it'd be dangerous to fire it now, please refrain from doing it right now." Fortunately Hisoka grab both Augustine and Dmitri just in time before they attempt to fire anything from their mouth.

"Oh, so those two can fire a torpedo, heh?"

She lets out her amusement while smiling widely.

"Unlike normal torpedoes, when launched, the propeller will start up immediately and moves to target. But the way this girl launches it is a bit special." Hisoka grabbed the cape which covering right part of Ageha's body and lifts it up. What lies before everyone's eyes is her deformed part, 'A-chan and Di-chan' that connected with her arm. Her cloth which resembles Airfield Princess's in black tone aside. What caught Southern War Princess are the torpedoes packed beneath the cape.

"Unlike Destroyers, Light Cruisers and Submarines, these guys fire the torpedoes with only pure pressure and the propeller will only starts when the torpedoes are already half way through to the targets. There will be ripple in water if launched near surface, but she's submarine so she can launched it however she wants."

"But this girl still can't hide from active sonar and radar, right?"

Hisoka was about to answer that but got interrupted.

"Like Papa said, Ageha, Hide and Seek, never loses!"

When she said it with such a stern face like that, it made Hisoka thinks about how old she is. A little girl who doesn't even know how to speak properly declares something with a face like that. He almost can't stop his smile.

"Radar is out of question, she won't resurface easily. And sonar or depth charge might pose some problem to normal submarines, but this girl is special. You wouldn't even think she can camouflage herself in bubble trails or hide beneath others like that."

"With her size, it's possible to hide in a bubble trail, but to escape from active sonar in that situation is… Don't tell me she can move that precisely? Hiding in bubble trails is already ridiculous, but if she is that fast and can keep up near the others with so little space between them to camouflage herself, then she's really worthy to be called Princess."

With that, he just shrugs.

"That's why she was called Princess. It's not self-proclaimed. The submarines from Battleship Princess's fleet can guaranteed you on that matter. It's already proved. Our equipments are better than theirs, if we can't find her unless she let us…"

"…then how can they find her. Interesting! But if that's the case then I won't put her in my fleet during the mission." Hisoka and Wo-class already get what she meant but the said girl herself still seems to be a little confused with words.

"…Papa, Ageha's no good?"

Hisoka almost screams and might died from blood lose if she tries to look up at him like that again. The doting Admiral adjusts his second daughter's black cape to covers up her wavy mouth and then said in a unbelievably gentle tone

"No, you're good, that's why you can't be in the fleet."

"That's right. You'll stalk us in our shadow and then gives them some big surprise! If any of them come in contact with our fleet during your stay here, feels free to sinks them, little princess!"

"Yay, big surprise!"

Seeing Ageha gains her emotion like this is a good development. It seems like he can raise a kid after all, the days spent with Hiyori paid off like this is not bad. All is well and if there's an enemy, this girl will get her first good battle experience.

'Let's just pray that this will be a good hunt, my little princess.'

Even though on the Abyssal's side, this girl right now is called by everyone as a princess. But who would know that during this mission, Japanese Admiralty will list this girl as nothing but a Demon.

The Stalking Submarine of the Southern Ocean.

Pursuing Demon (Tsuikyuusei-ki).


	10. Chapter 10

This chapter will have like ¼ combat scene. I don't know if other stories have any combat scene or not because I didn't read one that might have yet. So feel free to leave any suggestion for me to improve it. The further the story goes, the more fights will appear. And, Submarine Princess got some feedback back! Wow, that's something.

A/N : Kantai Collection is Kadokawa's, both Anime and Game.

* * *

><p>Chapter 10 the Daring Night Raid<p>

"I really swear there was something back there." Area A of section 5-3 always gives off the feeling of being watched by something from the back no matter how many times she has been here. It's not the first time Shigure's here but this is just second time, and she really is not familiar with the area.

The flagship sighs at one of the Torpedo Cruiser's comment. But Admiral Hiyori has already stated it was just their imagination and spun the compass, so they have no choice but to sail toward Area C.

The sun is starting to set and it's too dark to see far ahead without a searchlight from command ship, signaling the beginning of the night raid. But there won't be many fighting for this operation, because during the process of mapping, they already the possible encounter already. They are going through the shortest route, C-D-I-K route.

Right now they're heading toward Area C. Shigure can only pray that there won't be any Torpedo Cruiser this time around, because last time she was here, she was moderately damaged with just the opening torpedo salvo.

It's not a good experience.

/Are you scared, Yuudachi?/ The transmission comes in from the headsets everyone were wearing, not only just Yuudachi's so that everyone will be aware of the less experienced one in the fleet and look out for her.

"I'm not, like, scared, Admiral-san. If I just got scared by dark then I can't, like, get that second remodel thing like Shigure, right?" She is unexpectedly calm despite being distracted by something in front of them, something too far ahead from their current destination. It made Shigure glances sideway from times to times with worrying expression.

The direction Yuudachi's looking is that place, the Iron Bottom Sound. If she's correct then the Admiral might have the same expression as Yuudachi right now in the Command ship back over there. That's the place Isamu Hisoka 'died' after all.

"It's okay to be scared, you know? We don't know if there will be something lurking in the dark or not, hehehe." With a creepy smile and wriggling fingers, Kitakami at the back of the fleet jumps on Ooi in front of her and starts tickling session.

"Please stop, pufu, we are in the middle of, ha..!"

"We're still in the mission, please stop playing around already, Kitakami nee-san." Being told to pipe down by her junior and her best friend Ooi, the goofy Torpedo Cruiser can only sulks and does so.

"Haha, but it's really dark out here, isn't it? There seems to be no moon or even stars tonight." Looking back to the Aviation Cruiser Mogami at her back, Shigure nods and then looks up to the cloudy night sky with a clear sign of storm.

"This rain… will be a fierce one."

/Eh, yeah, it might be a storm if it's this black. After dissipating the next fleet, you girls can come inside the ship and take some rest before dinner. After we break through Area D, it'll be almost dawn when we reach Area I. But firstly, please be ready for the battle!/

With the whole fleet acknowledged her command.

Synchronized answers were shouted.

"Understood!"

And after a while, the heavy rain poured down.

"Enemy sighted! 1 Ru-Class Battle ship, 2 Ri-Class Heavy Cruisers, 1 Chi-Class Torpedo Cruiser, and 2 Ro-Class Destroyers! 12 o'clock, Line Ahead!" Mogami delivered the enemy's information through the transmission. Any voices cannot pierce through the storm anymore no matter how close everyone is to each other.

/Change formation into Line Ahead, ready for torpedo salvo!/

"Change to Line Ahead!"

"Torpedoes are ready!"

The Abyssals have good eyes to see in the dark and don't need a recon plane, searchlight or star shell like Shipgirls. They also prepare the torpedo salvo of their own too, but with only one Torpedo Cruiser, it doesn't even have to consider how strong the opponent was.

The result was the same as Hiyori has expected.

The torpedoes from the Abyssal aimed at Shigure and missed completely, none of them hit the mark. But on the other hand, the Cruisers' torpedoes instantly sunk both of the Destroyers and damages one of the Ri-Class heavily. The strength's difference between both of the fleets is too far apart.

Shigure who has already received her second remodeled has really high stats. Her luck, as the fairies measured, is only second to Yukikaze who is dubbed as a Goddess of Luck. And this is a night battle which Shipgirls with high luck stat can shine brilliantly. Not only they're hard to hit, the possibility of a clear shot (Cut-in) is also high.

With the Battleship as an opponent, the battle dragged out too long and there is no comeback possibility for the Abyssal. Not long after Shigure's searchlight flickered and Yuudachi's star shell shone beneath the rainy black sky, the battle ends.

"Hehe, so this is the power of a Torpedo Cruiser. Man… I'm glad I got to do something." Two of the Abyssal ships were sunk by Kitakami and now she grinned like crazy with Ooi nodding beside her. The battle result is satisfying and they're going back to the Command ship to report and rest like their Admiral has suggested.

The night fells completely when the dinner's ended. Measuring the speed of this Command ship, they'll be at Area D in around 2 hours so Hiyori let the girls rest as they pleased. The rain falls down hard, making a disturbing sound and rocking the ship too violently she has to give up on enjoying tea leisurely. The young and genius Admiral right now just came out from the bridge after consulting with the Captain and suddenly freezes.

"Oh? Admiral-san, it's rare to see you outside the bridge. Are you, like, going back to your room? Want Yuudachi to accompany you there?" The clear green orbs put Hiyori under spell she can't resist. She then smiles and walks up next to Yuudachi.

"It'd be great, but it's better here with you." That's a pickup line she heard when her uncle Hidemasu tried out his luck with some random pretty woman back when she was just 10. Of course, it didn't work, but who'd know that when she uses it, their situation would got swapped instantly. Yuudachi is now blinking at her and utters…

"Unbelievable, did Admiral-san just…?"

"Well, it is cramp in my room so here is better, of course. I don't want to be alone, neither you do, right?" Hiyori's hand creeps away from window frame and make its way up to Yuudachi's. The warmth from the Destroyer's hand starts to heat up and spreads to her.

"Admiral, are you, like, lonely? Yuudachi is here with you so please be kind of really happy, okay?" Yuudachi's toothy grin caught Hiyori off guard and results in her small self inside the Destroyer's embrace. The small yet strong arms that ward of the Abyssal encased her in Yuudachi's comfortable warmth. The genius Admiral did try to resist but just only making it looks like she already resisted and gives in.

The Iron Bottom Sound, they both lost something precious there. Yuudachi's was her life, and Hiyori's was her only family. They can't do anything about themselves but instead, lick each other wounds.

"You're really warm, Yuudachi."

"Hehe, because I have, like, suuuuper high body temperature! Shigure loves to stick together with me in winter but she always ditches me when it's summer." Yuudachi grasped a firm hold of her superior smaller frame and hugs her tighter, like she tries to ease her own worry and loneliness.

"Unlike me, eh?"

It has been like this from her childhood, even before the war broke out. Her skin is really pale and her body temperature is too low. Her colleagues in her Navy school even made a joke about her being the Abyssal herself. It was a hectic school life.

Yuudachi doesn't know anything about Hiyori but only that she always comes to her when no one was around and becomes like this. No one knows, not even Shigure, that this genius naval officer bears too many things on her little shoulder.

And Yuudachi was really scared of when she can't endure the hardship and let it collapse down, burying her alive.

But it didn't happen, just not in her vicinity. Yukikaze asked almost everyone to look after Hiyori that day when the letter arrived. Even the speed freak Shimakaze was willing to listen, and tried to help cheering her up during the trip.

But it was worthless when Yuudachi got a chance to see Hiyori when she came back from Yokosuka Front. The only thing she saw back then was only a doll with nothing inside, driven by her duty to smiles and took care of everything. She really was buried alive by her burden.

"Admiral, please, you have to look after yourself too, okay? Just like the way you look after us. I was, like, heartbroken when I saw you being like this, you know?" The Destroyer's hug goes even tighter and tighter the longer Hiyori stays silent. She can look after herself just fine, but this girl in front of her can't do it. She still has Shigure but Hiyori has no one left. And Yuudachi is the only one who notices that Hiyori averted everyone's eyes from her own problem with this method. Put all of everyone attention to another problem, Yuudachi's problem.

She's glad that Hiyori cares for her, but it's just like Shigure said. She only cares for other, not her own self.

"You said the same thing like Shigure, you two really is sisters." She said while reached her hand up to ruffling Yuudachi's hair. Their eyes locked for a second and then they both part away from each other the next moment. Seeing how red each other's faces are, they can't possibly think of the hug just now as just a comforting hug.

"It's a little bit too warm so it's, like, can't be help? Hehe, Admiral-san's blushing face is so cute." She's grinning like a fool and Hiyori has no choice but to avert her eyes again. Getting a hug from Yuudachi really 'recharge' her willpower to the max.

…and both of them are so soft too.

Hiyori silently looked down to her hands before lets out a relieving sigh. It's hard to say but she can only get a comfortable place to relax like this only around Yuudachi. They're so much alike that Hiyori can't afford to let her 'stress reliever' got sunk by some Abyssal.

She made up her mind and grabs both of the Destroyer's hands.

"I promise I'll take care of myself really well, so please don't sink under my watch, okay? If you go off and got sunk on your own then I can't bear with this pain any longer, and I might as well follow you…"

"You can't. If I sunk, then I'll come back to you no matter how long it'll take. But if you are, like, gone, then I won't have anywhere to come back to, right? Since you told me back then that the place beside you is my home, I don't want it if there's no place to return to." That phrase has lived long in Yuudachi's memory. So long that it makes Hiyori surprised she still remembered it.

It was already two years that she was posted at Rabaul, and if she has to count, it has been 1 year and 8 months that Nagato's fleet brought Yuudachi back from mission. At that time, Yuudachi was nothing like this, she was paranoid and creepy she can't even start the conversation normally. But because of her mental instability, she needs someone to take care of her. At that time, Yuudachi was the only Shuratsuyu-class and she has to take up that role.

It's because of Yuudachi's breakdown after Shigure has arrived at the base that night, this girl cried like there's no tomorrow. As her guardian at the moment, she came to her aid instantly and deal with the crying mad dog.

They became close like this after that event. Because of her loneliness, Hiyori seeks for Yuudachi's warmth instead of Hisoka's. And because of her past, Yuudachi who wants to make amend for her sisters, came to Hiyori for consultation from times to times.

But who'd know that a simple relationship like that would develop this much after a certain event of losing someone.

"If you say it like that then I can't do anything reckless, hmm?"

"That's all rightish, Admiral-san. Uhmm, well, if Admiral-san is free tonight then my room is, like, always open to you! But before that, I'll try to come back unscathed so that we can sleep together, okay?" They have to do everything they can to live the moment to the fullest, because their line of work won't be mercy on them. Hiyori knows this too well and now trying to keep those who she holds dear right beside her. Shigure might understand it as something else but, that girl just thought about it too deep. She just wants Yuudachi to be stronger so that she can withstand the furious tides of war.

"It would be the best if you don't sink at all. The sea might already claim the person I love the most, but I don't want you to go back beneath the surface again. Only once in the past is already enough, isn't it?" The surprised Destroyer can only smile awkwardly and back off resuming to her duty.

"Eeeh, well, I won't, like, sink under your command, Admiral-san! Now if you permit me, I'll have to go and gear myself up for sortie." With her hand's waving a goodbye, Yuudachi turned around and walks along the hallway fading from Hiyori's sight. And with the mad dog gone, the genius Admiral lets out a deep sigh.

"Father, will you be okay if I marry more than one person? Shigure's so cool after her remodel and really caring. Mucchan is always looks after me too. And Nagamon, no, Nagato-san is also so awesome. Then there's Yuudachi-nee too. That's right, Verniy-chan, and Zekamashi-chan too! Hah, one ring is not enough, eh?"

"Maybe you could just marry everyone in the fleet? …Nagamon, huh?" Hiyori followed the source of that muffling noise outside and opens the window. There, sitting on the ship's rail underneath a pouring rain, is the geared up and soaked Kiso.

"Kiso-san! Why are you outside!? Please come in-"

"No, no, it's alright. I just went for a warm up a little bit. You and Yuudachi are surprisingly close, hmm?" That teasing tone from the always-so-serious Kiso is new. Hiyori looks aside trying to avoid eyes contact and that, only makes Kiso laugh out wholeheartedly.

"I, I just…"

"It's alright, isn't it? It's not that girl who needs to be pampered but you, Admiral. But marrying a whole fleet may be too much, but it's just a provisional marriage. You really are lonely, huh? Yes, that's why this onee-san will pamper you a lot after this!" Kiso's words showered Hiyori with embarrassment and almost made her cower in shame. But when she thought about it for a second, she finds a way she can get back to the Cruiser.

"Kiso-san, you said 'whole fleet', right? So you want to get married, too?" Now it's a payback time! The Admiral starts to grin and chuckles at her conversation partner. Making it worse for Kiso who can only blinks in the state of shock.

"You little… Haa, if I said yes what would you do?"

"Find more ring?"

They stare at each other in silent.

"You want a harem or something?"

"And I want Kiso-san in it, so will you agree being my wife?"

…and then there's another moment of silent before Kiso runs away from the conversation by dropping from the railing into the ocean.

"Kiso-san you sore loser!"

"…I didn't lose!"

So she was loved this much by her subordinates? Hiyori didn't know about this before and now standing still, tries to absorb what she just heard from Kiso and clarified this situation. Even the serious and cool Torpedo Cruiser like Kiso, who was the first on the got remodeled, can be this caring because of her father's death.

"If he sees me right now… I wonder, will you be proud of me, father?" Reaching up to her breast pocket, the feeling of a paper underneath the thick fabric eases her mind and calms her down. She can't say she's already over with the death of her only family, but she can't let this feeling ties her down and makes her subordinates worried.

"What's gone is gone, people can't undo the past. But please rest easy, I'll avenge you for sure." Hiyori calms her heart down with the thought of her father's gentle smile. For those who turned against Isamu, their death is guaranteed. Hisoka always make sure that this fact will be held true in every situation, and she'll do the same.

Those who hurt her family will not walk away unscathed.

And her family is not only herself and her dead father anymore, those girls who will always care for her are her family too. Abyssal or the Navy, if they do them any harm, they'll pay.

But now that their destination's approaching, Hiyori escaped her thought stream and now walks back toward the bridge to be ready to issues any command right away.

The Area D is right in front of their eyes, the battle will now begins.

* * *

><p>"Enemy's fleet sighted, it is pattern 2! 1 Ta-Class Battleship, 3 Ri-Class Heavy Cruisers, 1 Ha-Class Destroyer, and 1 Ro-Class Destroyer!" Their only pair of eyes in the depth of furious and stormy night relays her words into the headset communicator. Both the Fleet and Command ship acknowledge the report and changed into the assigned formation issued by Admiral Hiyori.<p>

Line Ahead is always good when you're the one assaulting with torpedoes. But this is a night battle, no matter how good the fleet formation is, if the attacks miss then there's no point. And that's why it is the time for individuals to shine during night battle.

Shigure, the fleet's flagship, knows truly well how to survive the night battle, it is a result from always having lunches with the one and only Night Battle Maniac, Sendai.

Destroyers have good speed and high evasion rate resulted from their small armaments, and thus, their role were always being decoys or escort ships aka Meat shields. But she knows how scary Destroyers can be with her friend being the example. Shimakaze and Verniy are agile and good with torpedoes.

But in her case, it's evasion rate and aim.

/Approximately T minus 30 seconds until contact./

The data transmitted to the Command ship rushes Hiyori to order her subordinates to get into position. Night Battle is a battle that every moment is unpredictable. And in such a battle with low vision and uncertainty, one of the Ship-girls might get sunk immediately if she's not careful.

She doesn't want to make a mistake any more.

"Enemy sighted!"

/Shigure! Yuudachi!/

As commanded, both girls from Shiratsuyu-Class respond as they already planned out with their superior. Yuudachi with her Star shells readied, aimed above the incoming enemy's fleet and shoots what that would give them vision in this battle. The light from star shell shines brightly, illuminating the whole Abyssal fleet, almost blinding them in the process of surprise attack.

Night Battle is dangerous and needs vision to continue on to victory. There are three ways to fulfill that needs, one is the Star shells Yuudachi just fired which has no downside, next is the Type 98 Recon Seaplane from Mogami, and the last which will make user becomes a target…

The Searchlight in Shigure's hands was activated, granting a better vision for her fleet. But the enemy's shift of attention the next moment almost made her drown in their killing intents.

Shigure knows this and understands why she got this role of being a decoy and a moving target with clear sight for the enemies to attack. But she can't leave this job to the one with highest battle level in this fleet because Torpedo Cruiser can't equip Searchlight. And with her measured luck is high enough that she could get a clear hit on the enemy fleet's flagship before she got attacked.

"Too bad, I will not let you do any harm to my comrades…"

Still maintaining the distance between both of the fleet, Shigure who is in the front of the formation took her aim and fires with the Improved 12.7 Twin Mount Type B, which was followed by the launch of 61cm Oxygen Torpedoes.

To aim precisely while moving at full 34 knots speed is not easy. But just as everyone who saw her battle stats thought, her luck is not just for show. Enemy's flagship Ta-Class Battleship was downed in one clear coordinated hit of Oxygen Torpedoes and calculated shots.

"It's true, we Destroyers are not inferior to

With their first attack landed and succeeded in doing a killing blow, the other girls' morale go up almost reaching their peak. Despite being in a life-or-death situation, with their flagship as calm as their base-front port, the possibility for a mistake to happened is nigh.

"….how about thiiis?"

Both of the 12.7 Twin Gun Mount installed on Yuudachi's battle gear move to face her enemy. Four muzzles point in the direction of the poor Ri-Class Heavy Cruiser and fired. Most of the shots hit home but the second volley didn't land. The damage is not enough to sink the heavily armored Abyssal's ship.

It's time for retaliation.

The crippled Heavy Cruiser groaned with a restrained scream while readying her cannons to take one of the enemies down with her to the bottom of this raging sea. The possibility of getting a clear shot is high because they're in the advantage when it comes to fighting in the dark. The sudden light from Star shells caught them off guard, and it resulted in the sinking of their flagship.

"I'm not… going to… sink... again!"

The cannons were fired rapidly accompanying by high speed torpedoes. Their target is not Yuudachi who damaged the Heavy Cruiser but the easier target with more chance of scoring a hit.

The barrage was directed to Shigure.

The explosions sounded and pierce through the sounds of heavy rain and strong waves. Yuudachi who was closest to the hit Destroyer rushes up to her sister with a worrying face. But her worry was dissipated soon after by its subject. Shigure's still holding her ground on the fierce waves will gritting her teeth, enduring the pain.

"I… was hit? Now that's really unfortunate. It's alright, Yuudachi, don't worry about me." This is not about her luck or enemy's bad aim, but purely Shigure's speed and experiences alone when she lunged sideward to avoid the torpedoes and cannon's shots.

The shots only grazed her left arm a little, and only her clothing and gears were affected by enemy's attack and during the explosion.

She was just slightly damaged, but she's still damaged.

Yuudachi grinds her fangs together in rage while shoots a barrage of bullets at the unfinished Ri-Class to limited the movements or any chance to change the formation.

"Hoh, I can't let the Destroyers steal the spotlight, could I? Ooichi?" The senior of Torpedo Cruisers in the fleet speaks to one of her sister ships and the silent agreement was done the instant their eyes met. Neglecting the gun in their right hand and move away from the fixed formation to the left and right side of the fleet, they launch their first set of the proud 61cm Oxygen Torpedoes to disrupt the enemy's formation.

"The next salvo is ready. Do your job, Type-93 Oxygen torpedoes!" This salvo leads by Ooi's and finally takes down the wounded Ri-Class Heavy Cruiser. But to think that Ooi'd be unexpectedly merciful to send Ha-Class Destroyer down to the Abyss with her victim too, Kiso who was pressuring the enemy fleet's survivors let out an inaudible sigh. If her sisters take this thing seriously, she'd be really glad.

"Well, your thought's already on your face, you know? Kiso? I know it's boring but we'll you in full power when we face Area K's submarine. So suck it up and fire more! But these guys… If you're gonna come, come!" And after that, a full strength of Aviation Cruiser is displayed with a loud explosion, and a piercing scream from heavily damaged Ro-Class. Even though she is an Aviation Cruiser, she was Heavy Cruiser which was called the 'Pocket Battleship' before, she truly knows her things with those guns.

The battle is getting tenser and tenser every seconds passed. The Abyssal fleet with only 2 slightly damaged Heavy Cruisers and heavily damaged Destroyer is nothing. The resistance is futile but they're not the same with Ship-girls. Abyss is their home. If they sunk, they will eventually come back some day in the future. But Ship-girls are not like that, the way their foes are fighting until death with malicious hatred reeking from their gazes is sickening.

With such killing intent, it's certain that they won't back down easily even there's one of them left alone in front of the girls. They don't have anything to lose, unlike Ship-girls. The Abyssal are no longer human, and without Battleship with them, a fleet with only small and medium size level Ship-girls cannot resist them in close range. If they let the enemy get closer than this, there'll be casualty for sure.

As a flagship, Shigure can't let that happen.

The person behind them is too important, and if she lets Hiyori sees another death now, it'll post problem in many ways possible. But at that moment she tries to do something…

"Mogami-san! Kiso-san! Please…!" Without letting any of the mentioned persons respond to the pleading-like command from an escort ship. Yuudachi leaves Shigure's side and rushes out in front of the fleet, getting the attention of their enemies.

/Yuudachi-nee!? What are you…!?/

Who could have knows what's going on in that head of hers when the enemies only target her sister. They fired almost every life ammunition they have to pressuring the enemies, but the Abyssal are still closing in like there'll be no tomorrow. This puts pressure on both their fleet and Yuudachi's mind.

The remaining girls in the fleet can only watch in awe at the lowest battle level Ship-girl in the fleet rushing out amidst the bullets and gunfire. Mogami and Kiso didn't stop shooting but they change their priority from pressuring to providing a cover fires.

"Yuudachi! What're you doing!? Get back or I'll-" Her words and action was cut off by the Torpedo Cruiser and Aviation Cruiser's action. Both of them were at the back of the fleet just moment ago, but now they're right beside Shigure to take the role of flagship protecting.

"Cover her! You're the flagship, out there's not your place!" The enemies' gunfire is getting too wilder and scarier to intervene. They're bigger targets so they can't rush out there, and the only one possible to help is the flagship who's holding onto the Searchlight to provide them with the vision. Shigure can get Mogami to use the Searchlight for her and rushes out, but the covering fire will be weaker and before she can get to Yuudachi, it might already be too late.

"…Admiral, order me, please!"

/No, you're already damaged, and considering the others' role when we'll attack the Transport Fleet, I can't send anyone out there./

Shigure's voice starts to get husky…

"But she's my sister…!"

/She's important to me just like she is to you, I won't let anything happen to her too. But she has the Damage Control Crew with her, and beside that, Shigure, takes a closer look…/ While Shigure was debating with herself, Yuudachi on the other hand is already inside the sure-hit range of the enemies' Destroyer.

But she hasn't taken any damage yet. No, she avoided all of it.

"The ferocious hound, it's a name befitting her performance." Kiso forces it out as a compliment with a grimace expression. The situation is still at their side's advantage, but only miracle happens that Yuudachi will survive a close range fight with Abyssal!

The ferocious hound is fast, but only as her gears can let her be. But her reaction speed is getting sharper and sharper, just like her old self from the Sound southeast from this place is back here alive. Every shot will be counted and she's acting as a decoy to draw the enemies' attention away from main fleet. She's not only racing with time until they notice what she's doing, but she's also racing with inner self.

The fear of leaving others alone, the fear of being left alone, and the fear of dark and cold abyss are reliving as a nightmare in the back of her mind. She doesn't want to be in that situation or wants others to be in that situation anymore. This action will be treated as disobeying the order of the superior, but she's not planning to sink or running from the consequences of her action.

The purpose of this mission is to make her stronger. And she'll be stronger starting right this moment!

"Hmm… should I do a little bit more? Like, sinking, I mean." The torpedo tubes mounted on her left thigh launched all of the torpedoes it has into the raging waves as she takes a sharp turn from running away to facing her enemies.

"Admiral, I think I might waste a little bit of my lifespan to survive this. But please safe me from scolding if I got back, like, in one piece, okay?" The only answer she got was an intimidating silent and quiet breathing from Hiyori. It was that moment when she was about to gives up on hearing her superior's voice that she was shocked.

/Even if you come back in one piece, I'm not going to save you from Shigure. And I'll scold you myself! So get back safely for me, you stupid dog!/ That insult only made Yuudachi's smile widen. An insult with that pouting voice charges the mad dog up with will to survive this mess. And thus, a happy grin grew wilder into a smile filled with malicious intents.

"Then please watch me, I'll show you the nightmare of Solomon." Yuudachi's voice when she said that gives Hiyori who was at the other side of this communication a chill. The conversation was hold without facing each other directly, and it really did Yuudachi a good favor. If she talked to Hiyori face to face earlier, it could have left a bad impression of her to her superior. Of course, even a genius naval officer might get scared by the amount excitement she felt just now.

"Now then, let's move on to the matter at hands. This is troubling, isn't it? There's like, so many targets to choose from." It might not be certain but one of the survived Ri-Class Heavy Cruisers saw a glimpse of red light of those emerald eyes of the Ship-girl who was supposed to be an easy prey. Despite realizing what she saw, it was her last moment when the heavily damaged Ro-Class tries to tell her something.

It was no coincidence. The torpedoes Yuudachi launched…, dropped earlier were slowly making their way to the closing in Heavy Cruiser and explode. Heavy Cruiser is a strong ship, armed with armament second only to Battleship and reinforced with high quality armor to avoid sinking in one shot from the enemy.

Ri-Class survived the torpedo salvo with her left side's equipment disabled and lost almost all of the armor. If she just got shot by the weakest gun available for Ship-girl, she might simply sink.

The origin of those torpedo must be the Torpedo Cruisers she saw in the main fleet, and she as she realize that, the real culprit who was neglected by the easiest target to sink aims her gun. With a loud bang and a hole through the one of the Heavy Cruisers' side, Yuudachi's first victim in this battle sunk to the Abyss.

"More, I want like, a lot more preys! Let's start the greatest party ever, and you're like, invited too! Hahaha!" The ferocious hound suddenly kicked off from the sea surface leaving a huge explosion behind, the speed right now is rivaling the fastest Shimakaze and might be even faster.

The only enemies left are heavily damaged Ro-Class Destroyer and slightly damaged Ri-Class Heavy Cruiser. Her comrade did their jobs pretty well dwindling down the enemies' battle power. Now with the only two left, Yuudachi who has Damage Control Crew with her will finish these two of the remaining enemy.

"First one is you..!" The gun in Yuudachi's hand lifted up and aims to the nearest enemy ship with a hundred percent hit chance. Even though she's just a Destroyer, the enemy right before her has lost almost everything but a will to fight 'till death. She admired their will, but the enemy is still enemy.

With her eyes wide open and adrenaline rushing in her blood veins, the nightmare of Solomon fires her gun at the almost point blank range while moving passes her target. And to guarantee that there will be no literal backbiting, Yuudachi left one torpedo with the howling Destroyer blowing it to pieces.

But paying no mind to her sinking comrade, Ri-Class Heavy Cruiser sails back and fired her cannons at Yuudachi.

"Ugh!"

Still, Destroyer is an easy prey for Heavy Cruiser, but she'll sink this foe down with their comrades. Yuudachi grinds her teeth together to resist screaming out loud. Rapid firing Cannon's still showering her and limiting her route. The gunpowder reeks through the moist air as the sparks from gunfire spreads like a deathly flower.

She can still fight, but her gears are giving in to the amount of pressure from her usage and the damages from gunfire. This Ri-Class aimed for her only to make her moves to avoid getting hit, and shoots her gears instead of her body. She hasn't felt this sensation for such a long while after that battle which triggering the nightmare in her mind.

"I'm like, sorry to leave you alone. But I can't go down to meet you right now, Harusame!" The battle in the past has no place in the heat of this moment! Yuudachi scolds herself from losing focus and glance back at her fleet. The distance is growing and the cover fires are losing its purpose at this range.

She's all alone with this monster right now.

And being the only survivor of the fleet left, she have to report to her superior about this ridiculously strong Destroyer. Ri-Class grumbled with hesitation and shouts.

"Don't come…!"

It was not her first time hearing the Abyssal talks but this is rather new, this Ri-Class didn't curse her 'sink' like others. But even though it's like that, she never has any intention of letting the enemy goes away unharmed. She won't let those who hurt her comrades get away easily with just pleading.

"You're not gonna like, …get away that easily!"

And as about she is going to kick off again to lunge at the Heavy Cruiser, her gears gave off a crack sound as a warning of over usage. It'll break if she's not careful from now on, these gears are Ship-girls' live. Just like that the armaments are what making warships a warships, these gears are the same. If it's break, her carrier as Ship-girl will end unconditionally.

Seeing the pause in the assault, Ri-Class turns heels and starts to run at highest speed her condition can sustain. The shots fired from Yuudachi rarely hit the target, but the ones that hit did the enormous amount of damage. It's also slowing the fleeing enemy down, allowed Yuudachi who has her speed lessened to keep up and pursues the survivor.

The Damage Control Crew won't get her back to top condition like Repair Goddess, and she still have to take part in attacking the Transport Fleet that has Southern Ocean War Princess as an escort. That's why losing the Crew right now will be bad if she can't dodge or avoid the attack from the Princess.

Yuudachi who has already knows the end of this battle clicked her tongue. Letting the enemy goes is not to her liking, but she's not that strong to be able to finishes off a moderately damaged Heavy Cruiser. Her gears are not good enough to let her perform well, and the fact that she drew away the enemies' attention from Shigure is satisfying.

"Too bad, one of them is like, get away in one piece…"

The night battle ends and now it's time for punishment. Yuudachi breathes in a lungful of salty air while looking up at the cloudy night sky. The storm has starting to stop and toned down, leaving only calm and soothing rain to heal the wounds.

/It's such a nice rain, isn't it?/

A familiar voice rang up in her ear. The tone was worrisome to the extent that Yuudachi can guess how the speaker's face is right now. The battle ridden ferocious hound slowly sighs, readying herself for an incoming scolding session from her sister-ship.

"It's a nice rain because we're still like, under the same sky, Shigure." She heard a quiet gasp and tried to suppress her chuckle before waiting for the other side's respond.

/Yeah, it's a nice rain because we're still up here above the surface. Please refrain yourself from doing something that reckless again, alright?/ What Yuudachi finds out about that reprimand from her sister was that Shigure's voice is shaking. It seriously does make her feels bad about her action, but on the other hand, she's happy because there's someone who will wait for her.

"Promise, the pinky will like, have to wait for a little while though. I'm coming back to the Command ship right now. So, wait inside and like, dry yourself off, okay?" The clear respond she heard the next moment plastered a huge grin on her face, and then the communication was cut off. But just before she can move, the next one comes in.

/Yuudachi-nee, are you okay?/

"Uhmm, Admiral? I'm like, sorry? I got damaged this bad and it might affect tomorrow's fight…" Her self confidence is now got with the sea waves when she heard Hiyori's question. Just after she calm herself down, now she's all excited again because of this bewitching voice full of concern.

/If you're alright then it's okay. We can retreat-/

"No, Admiral, I can fight after a little bit of a rest and I still like, have the Damage Control Crew with me, so please don't worry too much!" She said with a giggle and brings her arms up wrapping around her own body that got drenched by rain. It's a bit cold but she can still manage to hang on a little longer.

/I'll have a hot cup of cocoa ready for you when you're here, so please come back quickly and warm up./ Normally Hiyori only drinks coffee but now it's her favorite instead that she brought to this mission? Yuudachi tries to stuff her cheek with air to hide her smile, and by pouting for no reason.

It's not like Hiyori will see it anyway.

"Alrighty, but please like, scold me gently, ne?" She can only hear a heartfelt laughter before the communication got cut off by the other side. Even though a battle was a bit dangerous, but bringing her who is not used to combat has its own risk. Yuudachi can imagine how Hiyori would beat herself up if she decided to pursue the fleeing Ri-Class back then and got sunk.

It's good that she survived…

"Look like I can't act recklessly without command anymore, the gears will like, cry that way." And with a quick look over her shoulder, Yuudachi shook her head and ready herself for repair session tonight. It'll be a long night and she hopes that Shigure and Hiyori will let her rest before the scolding begins.

But as Yuudachi was about to move, the Destroyer suddenly stumbled forward and almost falls down face first to the sea. She felt like there's something pushing her forward but it was the exact same time she heard a bang, following by smokes which coming from her gears.

…this will need a huge repairing, is what she thought. The ferocious hound shrugged her feeling that something was wrong away and continues onward back to the Command ship.

But little did she know…

That at the spot she was before, a suspicious voice is resounding from the depth of the abyss.

"Now you're 'it', let's play~"


	11. Chapter 11

Now this chapter will have an unexpected (?) development. But some of you might already expect it, so…. Well, expect the unexpected. And this chapter feels kinds rushed. I'm sorry if there are any mistakes or typos, I'm not quite a fan of typing with blue switch keyboard. Oh, and a beta-reader would be nice, any volunteer?

A/N : Kancolle is rightfully and lawfully Kadokawa's, both the game and anime. I just play around with the character.

* * *

><p>Chapter 11 Haunting Nightmare<p>

"So you really don't want to retreat?" It's not an Admiral's job to take care of the wounded but Hiyori still insisted on doing it for Yuudachi since last night. And now after having a light breakfast, she's reapplying the balm and bandages for bruises and cuts from last night battle to the smiling Destroyer.

"Well, it's Princess we're talking about here. I also like, want to see her with my own eyes for once." While Hiyori's busy treating her wounds, Yuudachi's trying her best to make her gears in the best shape possible, after going back to the base this time she'll need a long bath in the dock for sure.

"…but it'll be really dangerous?"

"Well, because you'll back us up, I have confident that we'll like, survive or even beat the Princess to pulp!" Hearing Yuudachi's word filled with confident, Hiyori can only glare at the Destroyer with her irritation hidden and put all her force into her hands.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! That's like, really hurt, Admiral-san!"

"Hmph, if that's what you want me to do then please at least wait for my command. Disobeying superior's order requires punishment. Please note that in your mind, alright?" After Hiyori loose the bandage up a little bit so that Yuudachi can move her arm freely, she neatly ties a knot and packs the first-aid kit.

"You're like, still mad about last night?"

The uncomfortable silent fell onto the both of them and filled the room up with tense air. Of course, Hiyori's still mad about Yuudachi's action last night, she went ahead first even though having low battle level, she won't retreat even if Hiyori or Shigure told her to, and she forced herself to fight to this extent…

"I'm still angry at you, Yuudachi-nee…"

"Oh, right, Admiral-san. Last night, if Yuudachi didn't hear it wrong, you added '-nee' after my name, didn't you? It's like, too busy last night and I have to go patrolling around so I can't find an opportunity to ask you." That cheeky grin coming from Yuudachi's starting to add some color to Hiyori's face. She looks away from her subordinates trying to think of something to retort.

But before long, her embarrassment took over her calm side and she responds to Yuudachi with a question of her own.

"Y- You also dropped honorific, didn't you?" Yuudachi only lifts her brow up in amusement at a response she just got. Maybe it's just like she always thought? That Hiyori somehow viewed her more than just an ordinary subordinate?

"Or does Admiral-san like, prefers it that way? It sounds like we're not as close as we really are though?" Her tone is not serious and her action proof so when she gets up from her bed, gaining some distance between each other. Hiyori's expression on her face can't escape from Yuudachi's eyes which were always fixated on her when they're together whenever possible.

It's a pained expression.

"Please stop joking around already." Her fuming anger dissipated as quickly as it built up. Yuudachi had a thought of bringing things a little bit further but decided against it. If she's wrong then it'd be too awkward to face her superior after this.

"Yes, yes. By the way, Admiral…san? Why were you like, in front of my room the first thing in the morning? I appreciate it that you didn't barge into my room even though you can, but… How can I help you?" The reason of Hiyori being here can't be just that she want to take care of her wounds, right? Even though she's a caring person, there will always be a limit for this. She's just her subordinate and she'll try her best to remain as is.

"That's right, the reason I'm here is because of your action yesterday. And it is why I asked you about retreating earlier. Don't over think it, it's not because of punishment or anything."

It's not that far away from what she had in mind, though. Her action last night truly deserved punishment. But if what Hiyori's here is not about punishment then what is?

"Then?"

"It's about your battle level I have fairies measured." Now it dawns upon her why she was up so late last night, Yuudachi even saw a light in her room around 1 in the morning when she was out with others to patrol the area. If she remembers it correctly then her level is really low, because she didn't sortie much after she received her first remodel long times ago.

"So how was it?" This piqued her interest a bit. She admits that the way she did things yesterday was not something a low level Destroyer could pulled off. She just imitates Verniy when she saw her during the scheduled exercise with another fleet. She wants to know it too, the level measured at that moment.

"It's high, a bit higher than Shigure's. If I have to put it bluntly, your level is around 70s, about the same level as our base's strongest Destroyers." The truth caught her off guard. So that means she raises up like, more than 20 levels in one mission? No, a level determined by the fairies is not only from experience, but also performance.

"That's… wow. That high?"

"I also doubt it, so I check into your data myself and look what I found. Your movements are almost identical to Ver's. But it's fiercer and more reckless compared to that girl. This means that your gears can't keep up with you… You know what I mean?"

Yuudachi nods.

"That means if I like, act like that again, there's a chance that my gears might break apart and ends my career as a Ship-girl. Even I know that much, Admiral-san." Yuudachi shows her superior a bitter smile and sit down on a chair in front of the said gears she just finished repairing.

"I don't want that to happen to you. If your gears break in fight, you'll get sunk!" Creaking sounds from the medical kit can be heard clearly in this room which void of everything but breathing sound. Hiyori's grip on the box might not be strong enough to break it but seeing her hands trembling like that urges the Destroyer to move.

"I won't do something like that. I like, promise!" She put her hands on Hiyori's, got a box out of her reach, and then crouches down so that their eyes are on the same level. Yuudachi silently looks into Hiyori's eyes and gently closing in.

Hiyori stops gritting her teeth at the sudden familiar warmth engulfing her body. Again with this hug of hers, always steals the complaints straight out of her mouth. If she does this every time they argue about something, she'll lose.

"Just because I called you 'Yuudachi-nee', it doesn't mean that I'm Harusame, you know?" This is a low blow and she knows how bad it is to Yuudachi for her to mention Harusame. That girl is the reason Yuudachi remembers her past, and the reason Hiyori still feels guilty for Shiratsuyu-Class to these days.

Because of her command, no, it's her that sunk Harusame.

But the result is not what she had in mind, a plea for forgiveness she prepared melts just inside her mouth when Yuudachi pushed her down onto the bed she sat on. Both of the Destroyer's hands have a firm grip on her wrists, sealing her escape route with a weigh she can't withstand on her stomach.

Looking up at this room's owner who's now sitting on her abdomen, a shadow did loom over her eyes but that clear emerald-like orbs never have this shade before. There is a glint of red in her eyes. The light was alluring enough but she can still feel the thirst echoing from Yuudachi's panting.

"Yuudachi?"

"Please don't mention another when we're like, together? I only see you as you, Hiyori-san. And I won't ever see you as Harusame in the future too. No matter how much you resemble her or how many times you call me like she did, you're not Harusame." It's just as Yuudachi said, her face is nearly the same as Harusame's. The first time that girl saw her, it was like she was looking into a mirror and thought that this is a prank or something. Hiyori can still remember the poor girl just like Yuudachi who was dwelling in her past.

But what she heard just now is not mainly about Harusame.

Yuudachi's action before and now doesn't match. It was like she was joking around with her before, and now she acts like trying to suppress her desire beneath that smile and lets it all out at once.

"You can't…"

"I can't do what? I can hug you, we always slept together before too, but now I just sit on you and look at you like this, you said I can't…" Her verbal tic is nowhere to be found, this girl is serious and she might do something thoughtless to her. It's all her fault for provoking Yuudachi like this, and now she reaps what she sows.

"Yuudachi, please… get off me. I can't breathe."

She can't fight against Ship-girl's strength, that's why this is the only way out of this situation for her. And surprisingly, the ferocious hound who was almost to ravage her complies.

"You don't know how hard I try to stop myself from like, ruining you against your will. And you still tempt me with your caring attitude and sweet words… This morning too, fidgeting around in front of my room? If I'm a man… hah." Yuudachi finally gets off from Hiyori and instead of backing away silently. She picks her superior up and sets her down outside of her room along with her medical kit.

"Wha-?"

"If you like, want to be kind to me, at least please stop doing it halfheartedly. It's like, hurts me a lot to see you being this kind to me because you feel guilty of what happened in the past. I'm just a way for you to comfort yourself. I'm thankful for you but if you want someone to comfort you, Shigure'd be a better choice."

Hiyori was left there, alone, in front of the room she was in a moment ago with the owner of the said room kicked her out. A moment of silent feels like eternity, before a muffled sobs leak through the wooden door before her. She can sense something clenching on her heart, squeezing it with enough force for her to cry.

But she didn't.

She is pondering about what she just realized earlier by Yuudachi's words. All she did was finding a way to comfort herself from making a mistake and took Harusame's life with her hands. Her target was not Shigure who can get a grip by herself, but Yuudachi who was unstable from start and breakdown when their fleet finally has the first casualty.

And if what Yuudachi said is true, then she has been hurting someone who was willingly falling for her farce up until now? Even 'I'm sorry' won't be sufficient enough for what she had done.

"It… really hurts, eh?"

What Shigure doesn't know about this genius Admiral is that the only flaw she has is not that she can't take care of herself. It's that she can't understand others. She only thinks logically and will work herself until drop to achieve her goal. The only one who she understands and understands her is the one who she took after, Hisoka.

Now that he's gone, no one can correct her mistake anymore.

She'll have to realize it, and does it herself from now on.

Hiyori sighs and gets up on her feet again, this time with a sad expression on her face while she's walking toward the door in front of her. A slender hand grazes along the wooden texture and stops at the eye's level before balling into a fist.

"I know it won't be enough but I'll still say it…"

There's only a silent as an answer, not even a sob or cry.

"I'm sorry. Now you know that I'm not like a normal girl you think I am, please let's remain as superior and subordinate starting from now. I'll always treat you like I always do…"

Hiyori took a deep breath and said.

"It's not like I'm going somewhere but, thank you for everything, Yuudachi onee-chan. You're like my older sister, and I don't want to say goodbye or lose you like my father. So please, take care in the battle." All this was because she mentioned Harusame to get away from Yuudachi, and now she's really away from the Destroyer like she wanted. But why does she feel so much pressure in her chest like this?

…note to self, don't mention about Harusame around Shiratsuyu-Class, or you'll regret doing so yourself.

"…damn it all."

The first and only swear Hiyori said in a years left unheard by anyone and dissolves into sea waves. She brought it upon herself so she'll have to suck it up and do her job properly so that the girls won't get hurt by the Abyssal.

"Why is it always at a time like this that I can't cry…?" She sighs as she starts to walk away from here to the bridge and readies herself for any incoming battle. But every steps she took, her body grew heavier and heavier along with a pain in her chest. The medical kit got brought up to her chest and was hugged tightly while she stubbornly continues on her way without a thought of resting.

It was around the corner that she bumped into someone and fell down on her rear. That person is Shigure, who was surprised by the sudden appearance of her superior and how frail she is compared to before the mission. The Destroyer doesn't know what kind of illness this is and starting to blame herself for bumping into her superior.

"I- I'm sorry, Admiral! Are you alright?"

Shigure got down to her knees and helps Hiyori up on her feet again. But instead of a little conversation exchanged, the young Admiral stood there still, hugging the medical kit in her arms without making any audible sound.

"Admiral?"

"Ah? Oh, Shigure? Good morning."

It was like Hiyori just noticed her… Shigure frowned because of this and looks straight into the other's eyes. It's not like she was crying but they are red. She knows that even if she asks, this girl won't ever say anything about it and shrugs it off, or worse, she might just bring something up instead.

So Shigure decided that she saw nothing.

"What are you doing her, Admiral? Aren't you supposed to be at the bridge by now?" Shigure looks down on the white wooden box in her superior's arms while crossing her arms in questioning manner. Her voice is full of concern she can't even hide it properly, and this cause Hiyori to smile with no particular reason.

"I'm going there, but I'm a little bit worried if I'll make it in time or not if I stop by at Yuudachi-ne… Yuudachi's place for a second. I want to tell her that she can be remodeled right after we got back to our base." Hiyori laid down her bait smoothly and watches as Shigure took a mouthful bite of it willingly.

"If it's just that then I'll tell her for you!"

"Really? That'd be great. Thank you, Shigure." A faint smile her father always told her to use when asking someone a favor was put to use on this occasion. Shigure was stunned blinking with confusion. A smile from Hiyori was not that rare, but what she saw just now is not a childish, truly happy smile that girl always showed around the base.

It's a mature one.

"What… Seriously, what was that?" She can finally utter something when Hiyori was out of her sight. Her superior's somehow really mature today, but considering that the said person herself was walking away from Yuudachi's room and holding a medical kit. She doubts that her Admiral just drank something weird and came out that way.

And that red eyes, too. It was a sign of crying, but the only time she cried recently was when the news of Hisoka's fake funeral came from mainland, that was what she heard from Yukikaze. But there were no traces of tears or any other sign that she cried. Her cheeks were dry and her nose was not red.

So what happened?

The only one who might happen to know of what really happened to Hiyori must be the person who did it herself. Shigure lets out a long and boring sigh. Those two are always cheerful when they're together, and now they fought?

"…this will be troublesome."

She said before knocking and waits for the response.

"Yuudachi? It's me, Shigure. Is it okay if I come in?" After waiting for a while, the doorknob finally turned and the door is opened. But what comes to her sight was the sign that Hiyori was supposed to have, red eyes, wet cheeks, and a red nose just like reindeer's.

"Well, I certainly get what's going on now. What did she say?" Yuudachi's face turned blue with just one sentence from her sister-ship. It's not a pleasant sight for Shigure either, seeing her sister being like this brings her an uncomfortable feeling.

"It's just that she mentioned Harusame. And I like, snapped… Well, I can't say that she like, said it to agitate me, though." The room's owner stepped away from the door letting another visitor comes in.

"You know she didn't do it on purpose? But why have you been crying? Isn't it supposed to be Admiral that cried?" This still bugs Yuudachi too, but she can't put it to word of why she cried. After seated herself on a still-warm spot on the wrinkled bed, Shigure ushers her sister to tell her the whole story.

It didn't take her long to know why the situation was reversed. Hiyori who was supposed to cry didn't even shed a single tear, this hurts Yuudachi a little when she heard it from Shigure. But this make both of them worry about their superior more and more.

Yuudachi who can't bear saying those cruel words and ignored Hiyori's apology, sits up straight beside Hiyori with her nose running. They both know just how hard Hiyori can be on herself after a situation like this. Both of them all had gotten into a fight with their superior once after that event which changed everything around the fleet. Harusame's lost is because of the miscommunication from the base, not because of Hiyori's order. But she still blamed herself and nearly blacked out gathering resources to build the unbuildable.

"You'll have to apologize…"

"I know that, she even said that she's sorry after hearing such words from me. I can't like, bear it either!" But even with that said, they still don't know how to make things work out. And as they thought about it, the sun raise higher and higher into the cloudless blue sky.

It's almost time for their last battle in this mission.

"Oh, that's right. I don't think you've already heard this from Admiral, but you can be remodeled right away when we got back to the base. She told me to tell you this and left. She really did care for you, hmm?" Shigure pat Yuudachi's hair softly and smiles. Even when Hiyori was hurt by Yuudachi's word, she's still caring enough to use an excuse like this. Get her to tell Yuudachi about the second remodel? More like she wanted her to cheers this girl up.

"That Admiral, I wonder when she'll notice that she's the one that fell too deep in her own selfish plan? I noticed it too that she wants to atone for the sin that's not anyone's, but to think that she didn't know about it herself…" She still can't believe that Hiyori didn't know what she herself has been doing up until now. The fact that she doesn't know about it could be enough that all those words from Yuudachi will hurt her just like it did to the person who said it herself.

"At least for now, let's do our best in the battle, okay?"

"Yeah, she like, said it before that she wants me to be safe and sound. I can't stand her being all that caring about us while she didn't do anything about her own matter…" Yuudachi flopped down on her bed and rolled around like she usually did at the Rabaul's base before bounces up to face Shigure.

"Let us like, get going then. We'll reach Area I in no time. Keeping Hiyori-san like, waiting is no good." Their superior's given name coming from Yuudachi's lips make Shigure chuckled silently. People who are meant to be together always find their way to each other no matter how. And she believes in the saying that these two under her watch will finally make up to each other.

'If Hisoka-san knows that he might have a daughter-in-law instead of a son, what kind of face he will make, I wonder…'

* * *

><p>"Hmm, just like the report said, there's nothing here but I still feel like someone's watching us." If the same person said it twice then there might really be something or someone who was watching at them. There's no incoming call from the Command ship either, so they can only advance carefully in the enemy's water.<p>

"But isn't it just Ooi-san's gaze you're feeling, Kitakami-san?" Mogami who was at the back of the fleet with Kiso said leisurely and smiles to ward off the piercing glare from one of the Torpedo Cruiser.

"Both of you, please like, stop playing around. We'll reach the final area of section 5-3 soon, so like, pay more attention to your surroundings would be really appreciated." The today's Yuudachi is extremely serious about mission for what reason they don't know. But the limited communication from Command ship and the Destroyer gives them the clue the need.

There's something going on between Hiyori and Yuudachi. Even Ooi who only care for Kitakami can see that much. It was like a silent agreement was conducted and agreed, they won't talk about it or ask one of the two of what happened. The matter will come out to light when they want it, it's a personal matter after all.

But this silent is uncomfortable…

It's still in a bearable level, though.

/We're reaching Area K now, be prepared for battle at any moment./ The transmission from Hiyori came in and the atmosphere is getting tenser in a single moment. There is still no enemy sighted, so that's at least fortunate for them. But they can't leisurely take their time either, the Abyssal might try to pull off some amazing plan like stealth attack or prepare an ambush for them.

Things might get interesting that way but they don't really want something unexpected waiting for them when they are in the middle of the enemy's water. It'll be too hairy to respond and there will be casualties. Both the Ship-girls and their Admiral thought the same.

Hence, expect the unexpected.

It won't be funny if one of the girls got sunk by an unexpected torpedo. So Hiyori who is in the bridge of the Command ship will operate sonar herself. Even though they fought, protecting her subordinates include Yuudachi is her first priority.

"Enemy sighted, incoming salvo at 12 o'clock!" There was only one salvo coming from the front of them, it's the Transport fleet's submarine's no doubt. This already clarify that they have reach the final area of section 5-3 already safe and sound with no casualty. The fight with the fleet consists of Princess-level Abyssal is no joke. There need to be at least one Battleship in the fleet, but here they only have middle and small size ships.

"It'll be hard, but we'll manage it somehow, right, Admiral?" Kiso's question goes unanswered as the person herself has no time to hear the it from the superior who'll back them up in this mess. The enemy's salvo was intercepted by theirs, the explosions signal the start of this battle.

"…enemy's fleet pattern confirmed. There's no Transport Ship!? It's the third pattern, we'll wasted our resources here if the fight drags out too long, what's your order, Admiral?" The third pattern recorded in the papers about section 5-3 consists of 2 Ri-Class Heavy Cruisers, 2 Ro-Class Destroyers, Southern War Princess, and lastly, Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier. Hiyori almost lose herself to sorrow when hearing the report from Mogami that it's pattern 3.

But there was a torpedo salvo, though? Was it from Destroyers? When did they learn to launch a salvo even before they see their enemy? Something about this Convoy's raid without Transport Ship in the enemy's fleet is fishy.

Hiyori looks down at the sonar's display in front of her and frowns hard enough for the ship crews around her to notice. The sonar is malfunctioned and shows only noise. Was it enemy's doing? Or was it just because the sonar itself? Or maybe the same thing that happen to his father might happen to her too?

The genius Admiral stood still with her hand on the microphone of the communicator headset she was wearing. But despite readying herself to issue any command if there's anything stranger than what already happened, she feels no safe nor comfort.

/Aim for Wo-Class, you girls don't have to pay any attention to the Princess. Sink the flagship, this is order!/ Was it because Wo-Class is the one who steals her father from her? The tone of that command was merciless enough for Shigure, Yuudachi, or any of the Ship-girls awaiting her order could feel the malice.

Their Admiral has a grudge on Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier after all. And it seems to be not just one, but all from the same species.

Even though they got Hiyori's intention wrong but the result will still be the same. If they can sink the flagship, the formation will break and the enemies will be in disarray. They can just retreat away from the scary Princess during that time or send them some salvoes to finish the whole fleet off.

The Princess won't go down with just salvoes, but the others will. That will leave her alone by herself and cannot chase after them.

"Yuudachi and I will take care of the Destroyers, Kiso-san please focus on Wo-Class!" With both of the Destroyers from Shiratsuyu-class sharing eyes contact with the Torpedo Cruiser, they set off at high speed and spread out to their flank drawing the target's attention.

"Well, well, I've got a job to do, so please protect the Command ship, Kitakami nee-san, Ooi nee-san." The fleet's members are moving out to face the enemy one by one. Leaving only Kitakami, Ooi, and Mogami as rear guards to protects the Command ship and secures the escape route.

Following the returning salvoes from the Torpedo Cruisers, Yuudachi and Shigure, the two who had their plan planned out with everyone before the sortie to ensure their superior's safety, are doing their job pretty well.

For a fleet formation such as Diamond which gives the flagship protection, the plan will be to disrupt the formation by peel off the escort, make the flagship bare to any attack and sink it in one go. That was one of the plans they came up to face almost every formation. Their Admiral is a bit crafty when it comes to this kind of things.

But even with such a plan, their effort were still fruitless as the two Ro-Class Destroyers didn't even moved away from the formation and receiving the attack, sharing the damages with Ri-Class Heavy Cruisers who came up and cover for them. It was like the information about their plan leaked out somehow and the enemies had got a wind of it. Both Shigure and Yuudachi at the front of the fleet are bewildered by the course of action the today's Abyssal took. Kiso also can't do anything with the torpedo's route blocked by two Ro-Classes.

"Admiral, any plans?"

Yuudachi sent out the question after avoids the cannon's shot by hairbreadth. The answer was not given right away, it's not like Hiyori feels awkward talking to Yuudachi, but she doesn't know what to do at this moment.

/Both of you, please comes back first. Kiso-san, don't stop with the salvoes. Pressuring them more, I need to know what they'll do. I want to know their motive./

It turns into a puzzle.

Convoy's fleet without Transport ship and the Abyssals who only defend against middle sized fleet despite having the Princess. What's their motive? This fleet somehow has strange behavior, the Princess is intelligence, but they were not like this before.

It's right then that Shigure speaks up.

"Admiral, do you think that it's possible for the Abyssal to have an Admiral or Commander of their own?" Shigure questions with her hunch while retreating from the Abyssals who didn't even try to attack. They didn't escape either, this adds fuel to the whole fleet's curiosity even more.

"What are you like, trying to say? Their actions are strange, but the fleet we encountered yesterday was normal. It might be because of the Princess, but who'd like, lose their mind enough to become a brain for humanity's enemy?" But with her words like that, Yuudachi still doubt about what she just said and considers the thing Shigure told them. Her sister wasn't sure, she knows that. But why did she bring this topic up at the right moment?

"Do you know something?"

Ooi nods along with Kitakami's question.

The whole's fleet attention is focus on the calm Destroyer who's starting to regret she brought it up.

/Mogami, is your sonar working properly?/ During the silent after the questions flying around, another one comes from the Command ship by transmission directed to the Aviation Cruiser who was silent up until now. Mogami who was fiddling with the device in her hands has a grim face. She breathes out a desperate sigh and shakes her head.

"It's functioning but it was like there's something jamming it after the first salvo from the enemy."

Hiyori nods with acknowledgement and comes to conclusion. Both of the sonar, the one with Mogami and the one installed in the command ship reacted the same at the exact same moment after first and only torpedo attack from Abyssal hits.

/It's them. The sonar here at the command ship was still being jammed right at this moment. It started perfectly a second after we detect the torpedo salvo. They're different from before./

This is a peculiar turn of event, the Abyssal only sortie with the same old route and reacts to the attacks with a fixed reaction no matter how many times. But they've changed. A possibility of them having an Admiral might not be far from truth. This is not the time to question Shigure, she needs to think of something.

/Kiso-san, please fall back and resume the attack after reorganize the fleet formation. Kitakami-san and Ooi-san too, once we are ready, please assist Kiso-san and focus on the Heavy Cruisers. Mogami-san will remain as rear guard and take care of Wo-Class's aircrafts. Shigure and Yuudachi, stay behind and ensure that they won't pull any trick while everyone's retreating. If they won't retreat, we'll sink them with the Princess./

After receiving the orders issued, they silently fall back but not without their eyes locked on the unmoving enemy's fleet. But just as they were about to get out of the enemy's range, Southern War Princess makes her move in the last second. Even from this distance, a smile can be seen on the Princess's face like all of these was already planned out as a one big play.

Three sets of 16inch Triple Cannon directs to their position slowly but steadily, and with its target in range, the hellfire is unleashed. The first barrage almost reaches the retreating fleet, just close enough to send powerful waves rocking the Command ship out of balance. But the next barrage won't be the same.

/Hurry up! The next barrage's coming!/

Hiyori shouted into the microphone and slammed her headset against the sonar console. In the next moment, she is already running out of the bridge to the uppermost part of the ship. The rocking vessel almost feels like an earthquake, but she can't falter here. Her subordinates are coming back and she moved on reflex to go and get them as soon as possible, she needs to see the situation at the closest range possible.

It's not logical to risk one's own life for something like this. Her head orders her to stop but the lump of beating meat inside her chest urges her to run faster. But due to her frail body lacking the necessary muscles, it took a while before she got to the deck.

The ceasing explosions were not what stun her, but the sight of something she swore to never let it happens again in the past. Right at the second she reached the deck, Yuudachi and Shigure were caught in a huge explosions cause by concentrated cannon's shots. Engulfing by the powerful waves and explosions, both of the Destroyers were nowhere to be seen.

Kitakami, Ooi, Kiso, and Mogami don't have any luxury to look back as there were still a few more shots that might hit the deck. The Southern War Princess's power is not something to joke with, but Mogami who is nearest to the Command ship grits her teeth and turns back, then begrudgingly sends her aircraft out to intercept the shots. Her effort is admirable, but the result is not. The remaining shots slip past the whole squadron of the recon aircraft and hit the Aviation Cruiser, made her heavily damaged in a single blow at the cost of undamaged Command ship.

"Mogami-san!"

The genius Admiral shouts as loud as possible to get the names's owner's sight on her. Hiyori moves in as close as possible to the safeguard railing and helps Mogami up from the surface with both of her hands. After a short struggle and with Kiso's help, the remaining four of the fleet got on board and the ship's starting to moveout of cannon's range…

…against her Admiral's will.

"Captain!? Please wait! Turn the ship back! The two of them are still… Yuudachi has Damage Control Crew with her! They… She's still alive!" The captain of this Command ship is also her subordinate, but with much more year's worth of experience, there's no way he'll turn the ship back as commanded and sacrifices all the crews.

Her command was ignored, both of the crews and Ship-girls give her only piercing silent in a middle of fading cannon's sounds. Hiyori knows it's futile for her to dive into a cold sea but she'll still do it, she'll do everything so that Shigure and Yuudachi will come back.

Everything, even if it costs her life.

But just like before, she was stopped. Not by anyone, but again by the sight she doesn't want to see. Despite having the Damage Control Crew with her, what floated before Hiyori's eyes was a part of equipment not the person herself. It's only her equipment.

What left is only a shard of Yuudachi's life.

She had already said sorry to the Destroyer but she still feels that it was not enough. The plan to apologize again in front of Yuudachi once they get back to the base was folded, and kept a secret. It might be for eternity? Or it might be unfolded and spoken in front of her tombstone? She knows that in their line of work, speak what's on one's mind directly is the best way to ensure that it's already conveyed. Tell it before you don't have any chance to when that person is already not in this world.

Hiyori slid down on her knees, tightening her own grasp on the chest in a breathless manner. It hurts beyond believes. It's even more than what she felt before the sortie. The same feeling she felt back when she heard the news of her deceased father. Back then were just a gist of it, but now, the feeling is too real she can't doubt or ward it off as a dream anymore.

Both of them, Shigure and Yuudachi. Also Hisoka… In such a short time, she lost three of the dearest people in her life.

This time, there are tears, overflowing from her eyes red like bloodshot. Sniffling, sobbing, and muffling sound from her throat, all of it was heard by everyone present on the deck, even the crews in the bridge also felt their superior's sorrowful cries.

They can't do anything. All of them had a chance to risk their life so that both of the Destroyers will still be alive, but they can't think of anything in amidst of explosions.

All of them were already blessed that Hiyori didn't blame anything on them. But only those who close to her will know the consequences that will come after this. They were spared, but she will not forgive herself for sure. The Ship-girls around Hiyori knows it all too well.

Kiso who can't endure the sight bends down and scoops the crying girl up in her arms. The youngest Torpedo Cruisers was also hurt by the cannon's shots to the point she was moderately damaged.

But she can't left this girl alone either.

What would both of the Shiratsuyu's say if they know that she let their beloved Admiral cries her eyes out like this.

"Kitakami nee-san and Ooi nee-san, please take care of Mogami-san. I'll get Admiral to her room and after this, if the enemy's already left. We'll find them no matter what the cost will be…" Three of them nods weakly and send them off with a sad smile. They can't do anything about this and start readying themselves for Kiso's proposal.

"Please cry to your heart content, Admiral. But I beg you, the smile you always showed around our peaceful base, please don't lock it away…" Holding the weeping girl closer to her chest, warming her superior up in the tattered mantle, she can do only this much in Shigure or Yuudachi's stead.

"…we love your smile much more than your tears, Hiyori-san." Paid no heed to the passing by crews of the Command ship, Kiso made her way to Hiyori's room and opened it up with her bleeding leg. She sets her superior who cried herself to sleep on their way here on the bed and covers her up with the blanket right to the mouth.

Looking pleased at the result of her action, Kiso turns around exiting the room to get her wounds treated. However, a single piece of paper address to the room's owner before the door catches her attention. She didn't see it when she came in, it might be slid in under the door without anyone noticing.

The handwriting is also familiar she can't resist herself opening it. It needs only a quick glance from Kiso to stimulate her tear ducts. A stern and courageous Torpedo Cruiser wipes the drops off her face and places the paper on the bedside table.

She has something to do after this and she can't waste any valuable time. The deed is needed to be done as soon as possible. Right at this moment, Shigure and Yuudachi may be suffering from drowning.

She… They need to act fast.

With a click, the mechanic installed in the door ensures that nobody will disturb the fragile Female Admiral inside. Leaving the said girl alone in a room with the paper Kiso just read earlier.

The content of a letter is short.

It is just a single sentence in the middle of white paper.

'I'm like, very sorry about before…'

No one needs to guess whose letter it is.

…it's from Yuudachi.


	12. Chapter 12

This is something big I decided not long ago. It'll have a consequence in future for sure and I can't regret what I have done. I… I use the last blueprint I have to remodel Ro-chan instead of Bisko Drei! Waaaaargh!

A/N : Kantai Collection is rightfully Kadokawa's.

* * *

><p>Chapter 12 Aftermath<p>

"…it was already night time?"

An audible but husky voice escapes Hiyori's mouth as she begins to rise up from the bed. Her body aches and gives off a cracking sound from the joints. She didn't move much in bed, no, to be exact, she moved but only because of nightmare.

It was about Shigure and Yuudachi, they were crippled by Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier in her dream. It was like, after Hisoka, it was both of the girls who are close to her. She felt that it was like a curse resulted from the lives she took in the past. Both Abyssal's and her subordinate's.

Every times she looks into a mirror, she doesn't see only herself. But also Harusame who didn't even blame her when she was on the verge of sinking at that mission.

The rocking ground confirmed that she's still in the ocean, but she can't know where by just looking out of the window. The night is still young, a clock on the bedside table told her so while her eyes darted to a piece of paper beside it.

"A letter? It was already open, though." When she looks at it closer, the letter is for her and written in a familiar manner. Hiyori can't suppress her curiosity and read it. She then regrets it a moment later when tears flow down from her eyes again.

"You idiot… Why can't you say it sooner?" This insult was not directed to Yuudachi, but to herself. A simple Yuudachi-like sentence cause more impact than anything she saw today. She questions herself, why can't she apologize to the Destroyer sooner while she still can? Why did she have to start this fight in the first place?

As Hiyori thinks about it further, her chest becomes tighter every seconds past. People can't change the past, no matter how smart they are, there's no freaking way to undid what you've done. The young Admiral sighs and puts the letter back on the table.

She needs some fresh air.

Hiyori takes her time to get up from her bed as her body doesn't willing to obey her command easily. Every moves hurt, she notes to herself not to sleep more than necessary. She feels really weak right now, and it's not good to be weak physically in warzone.

A pale pair of hands which were always hidden beneath the gloves touches the railing, turns into a grip as its owner frowns heavily at the scenery before her. Hiyori's mad, everything is so peaceful like the nature's mocking her loss as if it was nothing major. The girl then lets out a long sigh before looking down into the Abyss beneath the surface, locking her eyes with a pair of red irises.

…red irises?

"Nnn!?"

The weak Admiral denied every protest her body's giving and jumps back suddenly at the sight of a person under the sea staring at her. The sea is calm and there's no huge wave so she can see the owner of that red eyes clearly. With a pale skin and white hair braided into a single tiny rope-like strand, accompany by red glowing irises, there's no denial that this person – this girl – is from Abyssal Fleet.

"Wha-? What was tha..t?"

Even before she can finished her sentence, with a loud thud, a hand clad in black metallic claw grabs a railing and pulls its owner up from the water. But instead of going onboard, this person stops just so that only her upper part can be seen.

It's a girl. She's from the Abyssal.

"Hey, hey, let's like, play?"

That smile of hers is really innocent along with the tone she was speaking in. But there's something unnerving about the wide opened eyes that are staring at her like there's no tomorrow. She can tell at first glance that this girl is innocent to the point that every single thing in her eyes is her plaything or playmate.

This will be a pain…

"Uh, no? I'm not in a mood to play now?" She answers back in a question form of sentence and the girl frowns with swelling bad mood. She's not supposed to make a girl from Abyssal angry, right? And this girl was not sighted before too, there's a possibility that this girl's a Princess or Demon.

"Are you like, sad?"

"What's with that verbal tic?" Hiyori dodges the question again, but this time, something about this girl's bothering her to the very core of her soul. Why did this girl use Yuudachi's verbal tic up until now? She knows that it's not that uncommon, but the Abyssals don't seem to have something like a common verbal tic with Ship-girls. Let alone verbal tic, she just know that they can speak this fluently.

"Ageha likes it, so Ageha uses it! We play tag, one of Onee-chans talked like this so Ageha copies!" Hiyori doesn't know if behind that toothy grin, there's bloodlust lies await or not. But the content of her weird speech clarifies her doubt and blows away her sorrow. That's Yuudachi's verbal tic and this girl said 'one of the Onee-chans' too. The possibility of those two being alive is not zero!

"Hmm, so your name is Ageha?"

"…mu! Onee-chan knows!? How? Amazing!" Hiyori suddenly comes to realization that if she talks to this girl too much in one day, she'll surely have a painful headache. But it's just like she thought, this girl is innocent, she's just too pure.

Is the Abyssal takes advantage of her?

No, right now she has to get the information out of this girl.

"Ah, by the way, are you finished playing with those Onee-chans?" The girl cheerfully nods with a smile that almost makes Hiyori feels bad about tricking her. But it is her job to ensure her subordinates' safety, even if she has to lie to a little girl, she'll still do it.

"Yup, Pervert Onee-chan's taking care of them right now. They're talking about something serious! Ageha doesn't want to interrupt so Ageha's here!" Her reasoning is just like of a kid's. And Hiyori's not good with kid unlike her father, but she got the information out of this girl without much efforts. It's all good.

But Pervert Onee-chan? Was she talking about Southern War Princess? Well, she doesn't have much to cover up her body at all, that makes sense. …She needs to stop her laughter right no.

"So, are those Onee-chans good people?"

"Nnn! We didn't talk but Ageha knows! They're good people!" The amount of cheery tone in her words are unbelievable, this girl is too cheerful to be a part of Abyssal is what Hiyori thinks of at the moment. That's only until when Ageha pulls herself up from hanging position and sit on a railing, letting her deformed right arm into Hiyori's view.

The sight was a horror. She once saw something similar to this when she was directed the fleet to breakthrough North Salmon Sea and met with the ridiculous Re-Class Battleship. The high damage output that rivals even the Princess and Demon, if this girl has it too then she'd be dangerous. But look at her equipment like this she doubts that this Ageha girl is a Battleship. Maybe she's a Destroyer or a Submarine? A one of a kind like Re-Class Battleship or Ne-Class Heavy Cruiser?

"…and since Onee-chans are good people, Papa and Wonee-chan won't let anyone hurt them!" This girl doesn't have any self-restraint at all. Everything she knows seems to pour out with her conversation more and more as the time pass. If they can continue like this further, she might know where Yuudachi and Shigure are, or why did the Abyssal capture them in the first place.

"Ah, by the way, when did the Onee-chans play tags?" Hiyori now takes it easy and lean against the wall talking to the younger Abyssal. Ageha tilts her head while blinking and states her answer like a fact the next second, causing Hiyori to open her eyes wide in disbelief.

"We played it since yesterday! Ageha follows Poi Onee-chan all along but she doesn't seem to know? Poi Onee-chan is really bad a games?" Ageha's version of this game is not like what children normally play. Hisoka mixed Tag and Hide and Seek together so that she can enjoy playing with the Submarines. It's just an additional rule that if the person who's it tag the other player without them noticing and declare, that person is chosen to be 'it' next.

This girl who's only familiar with that version didn't know what is what and when is when, she even forgot to declared after she tagged Yuudachi and then tagged her again after a period of time to win the game she has been playing.

It's a stealth training Hisoka implement on the Submarine's fleet and making use of it to lets Ageha play. But it looks like she's too good at this game, the Subs from Battleship Princess's fleet are even stronger nowadays after experienced consecutive lose.

And not even a single soul knows this fact beside Hisoka himself and his secretary, Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier aka Ageha'a Nanny.

"Uhm, maybe? I don't really know?"

"Eeehh? But Onee-chan seems so close with Poi Onee-chan though? Umm, but you two have a fight before? Ageha heard! Poi Onee-chan looked so mad and even kicked Onee-chan out!"

S… So she knew everything!?

It's already confirmed, only Submarine can be like this. Gathering information and pursuing enemy is their strong point after all. But her looks, her equipment, and even her deformed part, nothing resembles normal Abyssal Submarine.

Is she a Princess? But her right arm looks monstrous, so a Demon? She'll have to note this girl's information and arrange a report to HQ after this. But the matter at hand is still unfinished…

"Ah, so you heard? I really want to apologize… But I can't anymore. D- Do you know where she is right now?" This time the result is different. Ageha stops and ponders about the question she was asked for the first time in this conversation. It made Hiyori broke into cold sweats, right just before Ageha answers.

"Want to go? Down there!" One of the heads from her deformed limb wriggles a little and lets out a clicking sound while the other one looks into the direction of the corner. Hiyori can hear a footsteps, it's a clanking sound like two metals colliding in an even tempo.

It's one of the Ship-girls!

While Ageha points her claw down to the bottom of the sea, her deformed part picks up the anomaly and both of the heads look at the girls in confusion. It's not long before one of them bites on the railing, pushing their main body into the sea without hearing her protest. Hiyori can only stare in shock at the wet spot on the railing the young Abyssal was at.

The splash sound of sea water acted like an alarm, made the owner of that footsteps rushed to the scene in early to see what has happened. It's Kiso, who is panting hard, that grabs Hiyori's shoulders and accuse her like she's prisoner.

"What are you doing out here!? You're not completely fine yet! Go back to bed and rest some more!" It's out of worry but Hiyori cannot leave the black circle around the Torpedo Cruiser's eyes unseen. She instead grabs Kiso's hand and pulls her into her room.

"You're the one who need to rest, Kiso-san." After trying her best to push her subordinate down on her bed, she can only make the other girl sit instead of lying down.

"But…"

"No buts. I have a lot of questions to ask, what happened while I was out? Where are we? And what were you doing, exhausting yourself like this!?" Kiso's face begins to lose all color when the questions enter her system. She knows well how Hiyori will react if she sees her like this. And yes, this sequence of events turned out just ike she predicted on her way her to check on this girl.

This girl won't forgive her if she worked herself too hard and follow those two in order to search for them, too ironic and moronic.

But she didn't do all that searching only to find those two who are important to Hiyori for her, but also because she doesn't want to give up on her comrade just yet.

"It's been 6 hours since that confrontation. We still can't find Yuudachi or Shigure, not even their equipment other than what we already found. I'm sorry, Admiral." The silent after an apology is not something so welcomed. Kiso looks up from her superior's feet, meeting with a displeased glare that almost makes her wants to looks down again.

"Are you… mad because we can't find them?"

Her voice's shaking and Hiyori realizes it that she's scaring her subordinate. When a calm people break down or get angry, which they normally wouldn't do, is when one should be scared. She saw her father got angry once and he was so furious that it haunted her in a nightmare. She doesn't want anyone to experience something like what she had once seen.

"It's alright. I'm not mad because you can't find them, I'm angry because you overworked yourself. Kiso-san, I don't want to lose anyone anymore, okay?" Kiso frowns at what she heard. Hiyori who even cried because of the Destroyers, now already get over it?

"Are you saying that we abandoned both of them?"

The Torpedo Cruiser's voice grew dangerous.

"I didn't. But right now our resources are already next to nigh, isn't it? Let's go back to base and plan our move properly, it's not too late to save them later. Right now, our top priority is get you girls back safely. We need to treat Mogami's wounds too, right?"

No, she didn't already get over it.

She has already gone crazy!

"A- Admiral? They… sunk, right? If we can't find them as soon as possible then it's already futile, isn't it?" Kiso retorts with a shaky voice while looking at her superior calm smile in terror.

"They didn't sink, they're alright. No, they're safe. If my hunch is correct and the information I got is not a lie, then they'll be fine for now. We still need to hurry though." Dumbfounded at what her superior just fed her, Kiso can't contain her surprise and now trying to calm down. She thought to herself, did her Admiral just break because of pressure? It is normal, isn't it? After her own father, then it's her most trusted subordinates, there's no way normal people can handle such flow of events.

"Please calm down, Admiral, you're just too tired."

"Kiso-san? I'm not too tired or anything. It's you that need to rest, and I'm not hallucinating. If you won't believe me then get out and look at the railing I around where I was before!" Hiyori pulled Kiso up before drags her subordinate out of her own room and proceeds to where she was before, the place where she met with the Young Abyssal.

"Here! Please look!"

Kiso only raised her brows but didn't protest. At the spot where Hiyori's pointing is, there's nothing abnormal…

Wait.

"It's wet? How? It's only just this spot…" Her words stop suddenly when she follows Hiyori's finger to the deformed part of railing beside the wet spot. It was a teeth mark from something… The thing with a mouth that big and has possibility of being her, there's only one.

"It's from the Abyssal."

"Yes! Believe me now? I think the information I got from her is not a lie, no, someone that young and only think about playing can't possibly lie through her teeth like that." That girl, Ageha, she said 'Papa and Wonee-chan' didn't she? So what Shigure doubted might not be just her own speculation. And the feeling like being watched that Kitakami felt before is surely Ageha.

That girl said she followed the fleet from yesterday, from the beginning. And the change in fleet composition in last section too, if it's not because of their Admiral's order then it must be because of information from the Submarine Demon.

"Yeah, it's because of that girl, sonar jamming, change of fleet composition, even Yuudachi and Shigure too. Because of a Demon that followed us from the beginning, from when we sail into Sav Island's surrounding sea. Hahaha, I'll have to report this to HQ…"

It's not that well known but there's a way to jam sonar, the clicking sound that one of the deformed heads let out, if the frequency goes up then it can jam sonar too. And also about the leading salvo in last section, when Ageha lifted herself up, she saw it too, torpedoes packed beneath her mantle.

What went wrong in this mission is that girl's presence in this sea. She ruined everything because she just wanted to play?

Hiyori doesn't give a shit.

"That damn kid, if I got my hand on her I'm gonna spank her 'til she faint!" With a bam, she slams her fist on the railing and storms back to her room to organize the report about the new Princess-Demon type Abyssal. Leaving only Kiso at that spot to compare the dent her Admiral and the said Demon put on the metal bar.

It's almost the same force…

That's already beyond common sense!

"I'll have to remind the others not to anger her after this…"

* * *

><p>Sitting beside the bed in a guest room inside Sav Island Anchorage base, a man in his late twenties merrily peels the red apple amidst the uncomfortable silent.<p>

There are three inhabitants in this small room fitting for normal human being to live in, two girls and the said man, to be exact. One of the girls is sitting beside the man facing him, while the other is grimacing beneath the blanket like she's having a nightmare.

"Umm, do you really need to wear that weird mask?" A question from the black hair girl made the knife stops. The man who's wearing the mask in question turns to face the girl and sighs at her reaction to the mask he put in all his effort to draw. It is just a white paper mask with 'henohenomoheji' drawn on it though.

Why does she have to laugh this much!?

"It's so that this girl doesn't recognize me." Hisoka answers bluntly trying to have as little conversation with this girl as possible. When Ageha came back before the Princess's fleet, he almost have heart attack thinking that something happen. But when he saw this girl, he seriously got a heart attack.

"So it's Hiyori's fleet, huh? Your base is at Rabaul, correct?" Hisoka cut the apple in a shape of rabbit and set them on the plate, then presents it to Shigure to shut her up for a moment.

Why did this have to happen? And it's his daughter's fleet for god's sake! Why did she have to choose here of all place? And right when he's here too! And for additional misfortune, Ageha brought Hiyori's subordinates back! Not one, but two to boost!

Why, Agega? Whhhhyyyy?

Do you hate your Papa that muuuuch!?

"Yes, we planned to raise her battle-level a bit, but things went wrong and that girl caught us and brought us here. Ah, thank you." She answered and picks up an apple to nibble on it. It's awkward and he knows it. Being in the same room as humanity's only enemy dubbed as her superior's supposed-to-be-dead father is really uncomfortable. If he's in her shoes then he'd try to run away…

But this girl is too calm.

"Hmm, so you raise her battle-level with a Princess's level enemy, heh? That girl is really reckless nowadays, back then she's just like you, too calm and too stubborn." Sitting in seiza and nibbling her share of bunny-apple, Shigure frowns and starts to protest.

"But I'm not stubborn!?"

"Yes, you are. Talking to your enemy like this and neglecting Navy's protocol is really a stubborn action." She can only let out a discomfort growl getting retorted like that. Hisoka chooses and picks new apple out of the basket he got from the Transport ship the fleet from this base sank. It will be a waste if he leaves them alone so here it is. Feeding it to prisoners is not the most correct thing to do as these girls' enemy, but he doesn't care much about it.

He already used all of his willpower to fend off the Abyssal from this base before, and he needs a rest. This mask is also annoying it's so hard to peel an apple, at least this Yuudachi girl won't know his face. There're a lot of things to complain but the thing that bugged him most is that Shigure's too comfortable around him!

"Say, aren't you too relaxed around me? I'm your enemy, you know?" This is the most problematic situation he has ever been in. He's her enemy and even threatening her once, so why did she act so familiar with him like this? She wants him to be seen as a spy? A traitor?

Now that's not it.

Was it because…

"It's because of that funny mask, you really lack intimidating aura I felt back then. But you looked really scary when you have your sword in hands, so this is like a change of pace, isn't it?"

And she even smiles at him…

"You do know that I'm your enemy, right?"

Shigure still has her smile on while she looks down on the floor and answers. It's not far from his expectation, it's just what he expected to comes from her.

"It's mainly because you are Hiyori-san's father."

"Ho, so you called her on namely basis, heh? I don't mind having a daughter-in-law, you know? The Navy has that thing after all, what is it again? Something marriage…?"

"Provisional Marriage?" That rings a bell, Provisional Marriage, it was like a mission to let one of the Ship-girls who has already reach level 99 to grows even further. There's no change in equipment, but the ring itself that release the limit in their equipment, let them grow much more and become closer to the powerful Abyssal.

Ship-girls themselves have a possibility to grow over level 99, it's just that the gears they always wear to battle limit their growth. The ring will function along with the equipments to release the level cap. It was extra equipment that needs to be worn all the time, camouflage it as a marriage ring is perfect.

"That's what the Navy called that function, heh? Crafty bastards." He muttered it quietly and steals a glance at Yuudachi who has been sleeping still for a moment now.

"If you're already awake then get up. Otherwise there'll be no apple for you, you know?" His plan failed, the mask has no uses now that this girl heard his name from Shigure. Hisoka took the paper mask of before he begins to cut the apple in his hand.

"You're quite crafty too, heh? You don't like my mask that much?" Hisoka looks to his side to meet with Shigure's bitter smile. Now that he took off his mask, she goes back to be like back then? Hmm, interesting, does his face look so scary?

"So you're like, their Admiral?" With her brows knitted together, Yuudachi asks without any restraint and reaches down from her bed to grab one of the peeled apples.

"Something like that, I have some grudge against the Navy, don't ask, because I'm not going to tell you." Shigure laughs dryly and takes another piece of apple from the plate. But unlike her calm sister, Yuudachi glares at him like she's trying to look into his very being.

"You like, don't look like Hiyori-san at all. Are you really her father? What's her three-sizes? When's her birthday? Did she have any mole where people can't see? How about…"

"…Yuudachi, in front of your superior's father too. Please have some self-restraint!" Now Ms. Calm and collected has unleashed her fury too, Shiratsuyu-class is pretty interesting. A faithful hound and a ferocious hound… To think that his daughter is loved by these girls, he's really happy.

"Don't be like that, I'm just your warden now, don't be so polite." It was like he brought it upon himself, the next moment he blinks, Yuudachi's already on top of him and has his hands pinned down. He can't say he doesn't enjoy the sight of being pushed down by a cute girl, but her killing intent is bothering.

"Well, I didn't say you can be impolite, though."

He just stares at his attacker and smiles.

"What do you like, want from us? What will you gain by captured us? We're just Destroyer, if you want it to like, affect the fleet then you've to kidnap at least Battleship, you know?" Hisoka just chuckles at this girl misunderstanding. The power this little can't even push him down if he resists, he only wants to test her loyalty against Hiyori.

"You sisters are just the same, huh?"

"What are you like, talking about?" Yuudachi sees his eyes moving to the side and follows to only meet with Shigure who sighs while shaking her head. This puts Yuudachi in confusion, and the next second, that confusion is not long-lived.

The Destroyer is being pushed away by cheer strength. Hisoka reverses the role and restrains the ferocious hound so easily that she's too shocked to utter any word.

"Don't be too full of yourself, I can just throw you out of this room and have all the Abyssals torn you to pieces. Realize it already, would you? It's because of me that you're still alive." He lets go of her hands and pats the Destroyer in the head before resuming to his current job, apple peeling.

"It's alright, Yuudachi. He won't do you any harm, I assaulted him too and I can still talked to him like that, see? Right, Hisoka-san?" The said person pouted and looks away while stuffing his mouth with an apple he just finished peeling.

"Ah, he just like, pouts."

"Yeah, he just pouts."

"Respect elder more, you brats. And eat! You didn't have a chance to have lunch, did you? It's Friday today so I'll make curry for you, good thing I brought the ingredients for a week-long stay with me." Friday is a curry day and it has been like this for a long time already. He always cooked it on Friday and both Hiyori and Ageha love it. They are truly sisters, even though they haven't met each other yet.

"Are you like, a housewife? Peeling apple aside, you can even cook?" Is a man who can cook that rare? They're living being that need to eat too, you know? Hisoka sighs again and gets up to do his business in the kitchen. But before he can proceed to the door, it was slammed open by the rightfully owner of this place. Following the abruptly opening door is something consists of white and black that was thrown at him.

He caught it easily and widens his eyes in surprise.

"Wo-Class? What happened…?"

She's unconscious, and looking at the face of the Princess, he knows this much that it's her job treating his secretary. The rage in his bring is now being subdued by the fact that the Princess is also a victim from what the Navy was doing. His anger is still in a manageable level.

"So this is where you keep the prisoners, heh? Now let's end this without any violence, give them to me." He didn't ignore the demand but moves to put the unconscious Wo-Class on the bed first. With the help of Yuudachi and Shigure taking care of his secretary, it's easy enough for him to focus on the Princess now.

"Oh? But you're not even the one who captured them, though? And what's with 'end this without any violence', hmm? Are you blind? So those bruises just appeared out of nowhere?" His secretary was hurt, that is already enough for him to cut this damn Princess's gut open. He really hated how Navy handle things, and now it's on this side too.

"They are our foe, your foe, why did you hide them anyway? So you're just like we suspected? Still on human's side, heh?" She's not called Princess just because of royalty or something along those lines. There's no royalty, Abyssal only worships power. And to be called Princess, he's itching to know how strong she is personally. It's a bad habit when he's having a sword on his waist like this.

Southern War Princess starts to crack her knuckle and smiles, he knows the meaning hidden deep behind that sinister smile. He likes Airfield Princess's smile, it was like she's happy with everything she does despite it being killing. But this one is…

…mocking, and full of self-confident.

"Let's take this outside then." This scene gives off the feeling like 'to the back, we brawl' or so Yuudachi thought. She shares her gaze with Shigure and then onward to the unconscious Wo-Class. It seems like she can't watch an awesome duel between gu- cannons and sword.

Why did she know they're going to fight?

Hisoka's hand gripping on the hilt of an old katana is like, shouting for audience. And from Shigure's bitter face, the result is not something that can be decided just by guessing.

"Wanna go? But we can't like, leave her alone…"

Shigure shakes her head as she watches Hisoka walks out of the room before closing the door. If they go, it'd be bad if they got caught up in cannon's barrage intentionally.

"Let's just wait. Someone who can deflect bullets with sword can't lose that easily. No, let's pray that he wins, I don't want to be turned into I-Class or Ro-Class." The latter remark didn't even reach Yuudachi's ears. The fact that there's someone who can deflects bullets by using sword is already amazing enough that she wants to watch the fight.

"Umm, ju- just a peek? Like, a little peek?"

Just before Shigure can answer, someone interrupts in.

"Please stay here, it's too dangerous out there." With a groan, Wo-Class got up from the bed and her hand wanders up above her head. She seems to be finding something that was supposed to be there.

"Ah, it fell down so we put it over there…"

The half opened eyes widen a little and close down.

"Thank you for taking care of me, but I'll have to go now." As she's about to be on her feet, Shigure stops the Carrier with her hand and gently pushes the stubborn Abyssal down onto the bed.

"Please lie down, you've got bruises all over your body. And there's also something I'd like to ask you too." Her question gets the attention from the Carrier easily, Wo-Class waits a bit until the said question comes out from Shigure's mouth.

"Were you from Marshal Admiral Nishimura Nishiki's fleet? The one that was disbanded years ago at the along with the abandonment of Solomon Island's base?"

With such a question asked, Wo-Class Aircraft Carrier can only utter a voiceless denial as she looks away from both of the Destroyers.

There's no voice coming from her throat.

Nothing…


End file.
